Aspirin, Ice Cream and Asgards A Campers! story
by Neuropsych
Summary: Shawn comes for a visit, but he's not the only one... (FINISHED)
1. Default Chapter

Author's Note: This isn't a sequel, or even an add on to any of the ongoing storylines... It's just a story using Shawn. It's purely for fun, unless something happens when I'm writing it and it turns a little more serious, but it definitely won't be angsty, and it'll have more humor than anything else. (it takes place after Aftermaths, so everything is fine between Sam and Jack, and no one is wearing casts or braces or anything)  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any Stargate SG-1 characters. I do, however, own Shawn  
  
~*~  
  
Jack O'Neill was standing in his driveway, leaning against the front fender of his truck when a blue Pontiac pulled into the drive next to him. He smiled when he saw the small figure in the back seat squirming to escape his seatbelt and open the door.  
  
"Jack!"  
  
The boy flung himself against O'Neill, who grabbed him up into a bear hug, holding him tightly for a moment before letting him down.  
  
"Hey, Shawn, it's good to see you, buddy."  
  
"You, too."  
  
They both turned and watched as Shawn's parents got out of the front of the car, his mother coming right up to Jack while his father went to open the trunk.  
  
"Jack, you're looking well," Shawn's mother said, holding her hand out to him.  
  
"Thanks, Dottie, you look great. How are you?"  
  
"Fine. Just fine. It's so good of you to take Shawn this weekend. Not that we don't want him with us..."  
  
"But a convention is no place for a young boy," Shawn's father said as he walked over with a suitcase and a backpack in his hands. He set them down and held out his hand. "Good to see you again, Colonel O'Neill."  
  
"You, too. Thanks." Jack shook his hand, and grinned down at Shawn. "I'm glad to have him." Shawn beamed.  
  
"We loaded him up with some spending money, in case the two of you go anywhere, but don't let him buy too much candy, okay?"  
  
Jack gave her an innocent look; one that was almost identical to the one Shawn was suddenly wearing. "Would I do that?"  
  
Dottie laughed, and shook her head, then knelt down and hugged her son. Who was still young enough to like it, even though he pretended to roll his eyes.  
  
"You be good and do what Jack says, you hear?"  
  
"I will."  
  
His dad hugged him, too, as Dottie double-checked to make sure that Shawn hadn't left anything in the back of the car.  
  
"Shawn? Did you get everything?"  
  
"Yes, mom."  
  
"We'll see you on Monday night," his father told him, smiling down at him.  
  
"Don't worry," Jack said. "I'll take good care of him."  
  
"We're not worried." It was true. Nothing had ever happened to their son when he was in Jack's care, and when they'd been told they had to go to the convention for Dottie's work, Jack had been the first person they'd thought of to ask to take in Shawn. Which, of course, had been fine with the boy, since he couldn't think of any place he'd rather spend a weekend.  
  
They triple checked with Shawn to make sure he had everything, and Jack assured them that whatever he might have forgotten would be easy enough to get, then they said they had to get going, since they absolutely had to make their flight, or they'd be walking to LA. Jack held the door open for Dottie, who smiled at her son once more, then took Jack's hand again.  
  
"We'll bring you something from the convention!"  
  
He wasn't sure if she meant him, or Shawn, but Jack squeezed her hand reassuringly, and closed her door.  
  
"Have a safe flight."  
  
"Bye, mom, bye dad!"  
  
"Be good!"  
  
"You, too!"  
  
They left, honking the horn in farewell, and Jack reached down and took Shawn's suitcase for him. Groaning in mock exasperation at the weight of it.  
  
"What do you have in here? Some brother I don't know about?"  
  
Shawn laughed and picked up his backpack.  
  
"Nah, I brought my Playstation and some games. In case you wanted try them out with me later."  
  
"Sounds great. Let's go in and get you settled."  
  
He led Shawn into the house, and took him back to the guest room, where he'd be staying for the weekend. They unpacked him, throwing all his clothes into the top drawers of the dresser, and then carried his Playstation out to the living room, since there wasn't a TV in the guest room.  
  
"We'll hook it up later, okay?" Jack said, as he set it on the coffee table for the moment. "Right now, I have to go to the base and pick up Sam."  
  
"Wow! Can I come?" Shawn had been to a couple of bases with Jack, and had even been in a helicopter with him, once. He loved going out with O'Neill. Even better that he was going to get Sam, who Shawn loved almost as much as Jack did.  
  
Jack grinned. "I'm certainly not going to leave you here. Not after just promising your mother that I'd keep you out of trouble." 


	2. 2

Shawn practically bolted for the door, with Jack moving at a more sedate pace behind him.  
  
"Why are you picking up Sam, Jack?" He asked as he scrambled up into the cab of O'Neill's truck. "Where's her car?"  
  
"It's at the shop. When we pick her up, we'll take her to get it, then we can all go out for dinner."  
  
"I just ate."  
  
"Then you can have dessert while Sam and I have dinner."  
  
"Cool. Is Daniel and Murray going to be there?"  
  
"Nope. You probably won't see either of them this weekend. They're both out of town. Although Daniel might be back tomorrow, if all goes well."  
  
"Where are they?"  
  
Telling Shawn that the two were off-world was not an option, but Jack was prepared for this question.  
  
"Teal'c's in Washington, and Daniel's in New York."  
  
"What are they doing?"  
  
"Teal'c's visiting family, and Daniel's giving a lecture." That much was true. Teal'c was visiting family, more or less. And Daniel was off giving some trainees a lecture on some spiffy obelisk SG-9 had found in the middle of a plain on some obscure world. Since they couldn't move the big rock, they group had gone to it.  
  
"Cool. I hope Daniel comes back before Monday."  
  
"I know he'll want to see you."  
  
Jack smiled and pulled the truck out of the driveway, and the two chatted comfortably while they drove to Cheyenne Mountain.  
  
Shawn had been to Cheyenne Mountain before. The base itself wasn't a secret. Everyone who did any research knew where NORAD was, so it was hardly a threat to the Nation's security to take Shawn with him there. He was never allowed off the elevator, however, when it came to the lower levels of the base, and it was a rule he understood from the very first trip there. He didn't mind. He'd have obeyed any rule as long as he was allowed to accompany Jack. The boy loved going to the base, and watching as the people at the gate checked Jack in, and he loved the fact that he was always checked in, too, and given a tag to wear on his shirt like he was someone important.  
  
"You are important," Jack had told him when Shawn first admitted this to Jack, way back on the first trip to Cheyenne Mountain. The boy had smiled for hours.  
  
They pulled up to the Main gate, and Jack stopped his truck. He wasn't in uniform, although everyone knew his truck, but it was best to stop in case there was someone new on duty, which was always a possibility. The Sergeant of the Watch came out and made sure the guy driving the truck that belonged to O'Neill was really O'Neill, then smiled at the boy sitting next to him, certain that the only thing keeping him from jumping out of his seat in excitement was the seatbelt holding him in.  
  
"Good Afternoon, Sir."  
  
"Afternoon Sergeant."  
  
"Got a VIP with you, I see."  
  
"You know it." Jack grinned over at Shawn, who was blushing. "Can't save the world without him, you know?"  
  
"Yes, Sir."  
  
"Do me a favor, Sergeant, and call ahead and let Major Carter know that I'm here, will you?" That way he wouldn't have to leave Shawn alone in the elevator long. Otherwise he'd have to have an Airman watch him while he went hunting for her. He trusted Shawn far more than he would most nine year olds, but the boy was still only nine, and he wasn't going to leave him alone any longer than necessary.  
  
"Yes, Sir, I'll take care of it."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
The Sergeant grinned and saluted Jack, then waved them through the gate. "Have a good day, Sir."  
  
"You, too, Sergeant." Jack grinned and drove onto the base, then parked his truck in his spot, and looked over at Shawn.  
  
"Remember the rules?"  
  
"Stay right beside you, and no getting out of the elevator."  
  
"And?"  
  
"And no petting the guard dogs."  
  
"Good."  
  
They got out of the truck and walked to the first checkpoint, which was where Shawn would get his Visitor's badge. The boy carefully put his name in the place for visitors to sign, and was handed his tag by a very serious looking Marine Corporal, then Jack pinned it on him and they went inside.  
  
Military and Civilian personnel were everywhere. It was Friday afternoon and they were all scurrying to get their work done by their deadlines, otherwise it'd mean working over the weekend, and who wanted to do that? They were never too busy to greet O'Neill and Shawn, though. Jack because he was a senior officer, and Shawn because he was a cute little boy, and those were a rarity in Cheyenne Mountain. Even more rare the further into the mountain they went.  
  
They went down one elevator, and then hit the final checkpoint before going into the SGC, and the Marines guarding this one carefully checked Shawn. Little boys were cute, yes, but these men had seen a lot of weird things, and they knew little boys could be an innocent face to something a lot more deadly. Jack didn't mind the scrutiny, and Shawn would have let them do anything to him as long as it meant he got to be with Jack. So the two were checked, then waved passed and headed for the last elevator.  
  
They got in and the doors closed behind them, and Jack hit the right button. They started moving, and Jack looked down to remind Shawn once more to stay on the elevator, when there was a bright flash of light, and the Colonel was gone, leaving the little boy staring in disbelief. 


	3. 3

"Aaaaaa!"  
  
Shawn stared at the space that O'Neill had been in only moments before. He looked around him wildly, certain that somehow Jack had just moved behind him or something. What else could it have been? Jack wasn't anywhere around him, though, and there was no place in the elevator for the Colonel to be hiding if it was some kind of practical joke.  
  
"Aaaaaaa!"  
  
He flung himself against the door as the elevator stopped, beating on it and thinking of the only person who could help him. The door swooshed open and he tumbled out onto the hard floor, but scrambled right to his feet again.  
  
"Sam! Sam!" He looked back into the elevator, hoping that Jack had somehow reappeared, but he wasn't there. He turned and ran down the hall, screaming as loud as he could. "Saaaaaammmm!"  
  
A Marine security officer saw Shawn rushing down the hall at him, and grabbed the boy when he ran passed him, scooping him up around the middle. Shawn was beyond rational thought by then, however, fear and shock having driven all coherent thought. He struggled in the man's arms, fighting to get free.  
  
"Let me go! Let me go!"  
  
"How did you get in here, son?" The Marine was plenty strong enough to secure the boy, even struggling as he was.  
  
"I need Sam! I need Major Carter! Saaaaaammmm!"  
  
The struggle drew the attention of another Marine, and this one reached out and pulled the visitor badge off Shawn's shirt and read it.  
  
"He's here with Colonel O'Neill." The two looked around for O'Neill, expecting to see him come around the Colonel, looking for his guest.  
  
"He's not here!" Shawn yelled, drooping in the grip of the man who was holding him. The man relaxed his grip slightly in response, assuming the boy was done struggling, and Shawn kicked backwards with his heel, catching the Marine a nasty shot right to the groin. Shawn dropped to the ground as the guy doubled over with a curse.  
  
"Sorry!" he rolled over and scrambled to his feet, dodging the reach of the other Marine, and tearing off down the hall once more, intent on finding help. Behind him he heard the men yelling for him to stop, and heard an alarm going off. Running all out, Shawn ignored all of it, although a little voice in his head told him that he was going to be in a ton of trouble once they caught him. He wasn't listening to that voice, though. Or the voice that told him the men could probably find Sam quicker than he could. He wasn't really thinking of anything but her.  
  
"Saaaammmmm!"  
  
Then he turned a corner and ran right into her, knocking the two of them to the floor.  
  
"Shawn!" Sam looked the boy over, noting immediately the wild look in his eyes and his pale face. He looked like he was going into shock, and she immediately was concerned. "Shawn? What's wrong? Where's Jack?"  
  
The two men that had been chasing Shawn had been joined by several more, and they all came rushing around the corner at that moment, two of them hurdling the Major and the little boy, one of them sliding to a stop that rocked him back on his heels and then knocking him to the floor when an Airman came around the corner as well and slammed into him. Sam ignored all this, as did Shawn, who was shaking his head, his eyes wide open.  
  
"He-he-he-he-"  
  
"Shawn!" Sam grabbed the little boy's arms and gave him a little shake. "What happened?"  
  
"J-J-Jack! It's Jack!" He was having trouble telling her what had happened. Mainly because he didn't know, himself.  
  
"What about him?" Sam was seriously concerned, now. Shawn was as level- headed a kid as she'd ever met, and he was obviously in shock. That could only mean something terrible had happened. "Shawn!" She barked his name this time, hoping to startle him out of his shock long enough to get the story out of him.  
  
The boy flinched, but it worked.  
  
"He-he vanished! In the elevator!" Certain she wasn't going to believe him, Shawn went on in a rush. "I-I-I was... was just standing there... talking to him... and he VANISHED!"  
  
"Vanished?" Sam was confused. That didn't make sense. Or did it? No. That couldn't be. Surely they wouldn't have done something like that with Shawn next to - "Was there a white light?"  
  
"Yes! A bright one!" Shawn shuddered. "I didn't do it, Sam! I was being good, I swear!"  
  
Oh, shit.  
  
Sam looked over at the assembled guards, one of whom looked far more pissed at the boy than the others, who were showing more concern now, since it was obvious Sam knew him. "We need to see General Hammond." 


	4. 4

"Don't forget..."  
  
Jack stopped what he'd started to say, realizing that even as he'd begun saying it, he'd felt an all too familiar sensation as the technology of the Asgards caught him up and transported him elsewhere.  
  
"... to stay in the elevator." He looked around, completely unable to believe what had just happened. And whom it'd happened in front of.  
  
"Shit!"  
  
He didn't see any sign of Thor, who was usually the one that liked to beam him up. The other Asgards tended to come through the Gate.  
  
"Thor!" He stepped to the window-like surface, which Sam had once told him was a forcefield something or the other, and looked down to make sure he was, actually, in orbit above the Earth. Sure enough, there it was.  
  
"Thor!" He had to get back to the surface. Shawn must be going nuts. How was he going to explain this one? Jack felt his temper rising quickly. Bad enough he beamed him up, but to not even be here to meet him and beam his ass back? "THOR!"  
  
"Greeting, Colonel O'Neill." The little alien's calm voice coming from behind him all of the sudden did nothing to ease Jack's anger, but he did try to control it enough to sound civil. He even took a deep breath before he turned around. Thor was standing behind him, having just entered the bridge from the far corridor.  
  
"Thor! You and I really need to talk about this beaming me up whenever the idea hits you."  
  
"The idea did not 'hit me', Colonel O'Neill." The Asgard Commander walked over to sit in his command chair. "I merely had the sensors set to 'beam' you up when they showed you to be on your base and in a relatively confined area."  
  
"Oh, I was in a confined area, all right! I was in the freaking elevator with a nine year old!"  
  
"A nine year old what?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"You were with a nine year old what?"  
  
"A kid! A nine year old kid who absolutely HAS to be wondering where the hell I am, since he was looking right at me when I DISAPPEARED!"  
  
"That is unfortunate."  
  
"Oh, yeah, you might say that."  
  
"I was not aware you allowed your children access to your base."  
  
"We don't, normally. This was an exception to the rule." Jack made an impatient sound. "It doesn't matter! What matters is that he's probably going nuts down there, and I'm up here. Fix it!"  
  
Thor looked at O'Neill calmly for a moment, and then nodded, and there was a flash of light, and Shawn suddenly appeared next to Jack.  
  
"...were on the elevato..." Shawn stopped what was obviously an explanation of what had happened, and looked at Jack, who he was facing when he materialized.  
  
"Jack! What ha-"Shawn had turned to see where he was and saw the Asgard sitting in his chair. "Aaaaaaaaa!"  
  
"ARE YOU NUTS?"  
  
Shawn flinched, but he realized almost immediately that Jack wasn't yelling at him. He was facing the... the... whatever it was. Jack caught the flinch out of the corner of his eye, and reached out to pull Shawn against his side, still glaring at Thor.  
  
"That wasn't what I had in mind!"  
  
"You did not tell me what you had in mind, O'Neill." Thor told him.  
  
"It talks!" Shawn clapped his hand over his mouth, wide-eyed as he stared at Thor. He'd almost convinced himself it was a moving stuffed animal, like the ones on the Disney Land rides, until Thor had spoken up.  
  
Jack looked down at him, and groaned. Why did this stuff always happen to him? He should have been a shoe salesman.  
  
"Yes, it talks." Gathering his temper as closely as he could, since he'd already startled Shawn once and wasn't going to add to what was already probably the weirdest day the boy had ever had in his life, Jack sighed. "This is Thor. Thor, this is Shawn."  
  
"Greetings, Shawn." Thor bowed his head slightly.  
  
Shawn looked up at Jack, questions in his eyes, but Jack had an arm around him, now, and the boy was feeling a little steadier than he had moments before when he'd been walking down the hall with Sam, starting to tell her what had happened. Jack shrugged, and nodded, and Shawn looked back at the Asgard.  
  
"Um... hello."  
  
Jack could feel Shawn trembling against his side, and he held him close. "It's okay, Shawn. He's a friend."  
  
"Wh-what is he?"  
  
"I am of the race known as the Asgard," Thor told him, answering before Jack could even decide what to tell the boy. "We are an ancie-"  
  
"Ass-guard?"  
  
"Azz-gard," Jack corrected, smiling for the first time.  
  
"Correct."  
  
"You're a Martian?" He did kind of look like something they showed on TV every now and then.  
  
"That would incorrectly infer that I am from the planet Mars. I am not."  
  
"But-"  
  
"Shawn, he's from some galaxy far far away." Jack didn't know exactly what it was called, but it didn't matter. He was still trying to figure out what to do next. At least the boy wasn't shaking quite so hard now, although he was pretty pale. Enough so that Jack was worried about him.  
  
"Indeed, I am." Thor, too, saw how pale the boy was, and even though he had no experience with young humans, he was sure it wasn't a good sign when they trembled and looked so wild-eyed.  
  
"But he's in our galaxy right now," Jack said, figuring he might as well cut to the chase. "And I'm kind of wondering why?"  
  
"We need your help, Colonel O'Neill." 


	5. 5

Author's Note: Sorry this one took so long in coming... I'm pretty bogged down with paperwork, trying to get everything done before my vacation starts tomorrow. This one is also a more informative chapter than a funny or interesting one... sorry! But there are more to come, especially once vacation starts. Thank you all for your reviews (and there's no aspirin flavored ice cream, I promise.. ick) hehe... make sure you email me if you have questions or comments you want a response to immediately  
  
~*~  
  
"He did WHAT?"  
  
Sam sighed. She'd known General Hammond wasn't going to like this, but it wasn't her fault. She hated always being the one to bring the bad news to people. They always yelled.  
  
"Thor – we think it was Thor – transported Colonel O'Neill out of the elevator that he and Shawn were riding in. Shawn went nuts, and took off trying to find me, but then as I was trying to get him to tell me exactly what happened so I could bring him here to tell you, he vanished as well."  
  
"Presumably snatched by the Asgard as well?"  
  
"Yes, Sir. I've seen it happen enough that I'm sure it's them."  
  
"But we haven't heard from Colonel O'Neill?"  
  
"No, Sir." She looked at her watch. "It's only been about ten minutes, though. NORAD is already looking for Thor's ship, but – "  
  
"But the Asgard are very good at hiding their ships from us. Damn it!" Hammond slammed his hand down on his desk. He'd had great plans for the weekend, and they didn't include little gray aliens. Not to mention, this time they'd taken a child, too. How to explain that one to the President?  
  
"We're hailing them, Sir. Hopefully they won't ignore us too long."  
  
"They'd better not." Hammond growled. "Not only do I want to know what's going on, I want that boy back! What were they thinking?"  
  
""I don't have a clue, Sir." There was an understatement. Sam was just as worried as Hammond, though. Whenever the Asgard made an appearance, it usually meant something bad was on the horizon.  
  
~*~  
  
"Of course you need our help," Jack said, his arm still around Shawn's shoulder. "Otherwise you wouldn't be here. You never just stop by to hang out."  
  
Thor just looked at him, silently. Jack sighed.  
  
"What do you need our help with?"  
  
"A short time ago, the Asgard explorer ship Vashun discovered a planet of humans in the Nedimian system." Thor moved his fingers on the right arm of his chair, and a holographic image of a solar system Jack had never seen before was suddenly floating in front of the three of them. He heard Shawn gasp, but the sound wasn't a frightened one. Thor heard it as well, and turned his attention to the boy for a moment. "It is a picture, nothing more. It will not harm you."  
  
Shawn nodded, his eyes glued to the image in front of him.  
  
"These humans are not as advanced as your own people, Colonel O'Neill. They are peaceful, however, and we have been studying them for possible future contact." Thor moved his finger again, and one of the smaller planets in the system came into stark relief. The planet was green and blue, similar to Earth, although there was far more blue than even Earth had. Obviously it was a watery world. "However, as we studied the people, we also studied the planet, and found that the core of their world is unstable. They are gradually losing their orbit around their sun, and soon the change in gravity and tides will cause them to be completely flooded. The people on the planet are in grave danger, unless we help them."  
  
"So move them somewhere else," Jack said, wondering what that had to do with him and Earth. "They're not a protected planet, are they? No treaty with the snakes to keep you from helping them?"  
  
"We do not believe the Goa'uld are aware of these humans."  
  
"So move them." Jack repeated. "There must be someplace they can go that's safer. I bet there's a lot of people willing to put them up. If they're peaceful, like you said."  
  
"They are, and we have found them a new home. A planet that has similar properties to the one they live on now. Very much like your own. However..."  
  
"However...?"  
  
"When the Asgard initiated contact with them – their leaders – things did not go very well."  
  
"How so?"  
  
"They became frightened when we contacted them. We tried to calm them, but they ran."  
  
"Understandable." Look at how Shawn had reacted.  
  
"We finally managed to get a few of their leaders to come and speak with us, but when we told them of their danger, they did not believe us. Unfortunately, they feel we are merely trying to deceive them, and take what they have. Or worse."  
  
"So... move them anyways. Just zap 'em up and take them to where you want to put them."  
  
Thor actually looked surprised that O'Neill would even suggest such a thing.  
  
"We can not do that, O'Neill. It is not the Asgard way to force people to do what they do not wish to do. We will help, but not compel."  
  
Jack didn't bother to even mention the amount of times he'd felt compelled to do something hair brained that the Asgard had asked him to do. He was still trying to figure out what any of this had to do with him.  
  
"What do you need me for, Thor?"  
  
"The humans on the planet might listen to another human. The Asgard hope they would not be immediately suspicious of other humans."  
  
"You want me to go talk to them?" Jack asked, incredulously.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Let me get this straight," Jack said, letting go of Shawn's shoulder for a moment because he needed both hands to gesture. "You found these people. They're in danger, so you want to move them, but they won't let you move them because they don't really trust you because you're... um..."  
  
"Gray?" Shawn said, looking at Thor.  
  
"Gray is good, thank you, Shawn." O'Neill looked back at Thor. "Because you're gray. So you think if I went there and talked to them, they'd believe me because I'm human and they'd go along with it? That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard."  
  
"Nevertheless, we must make an attempt, O'Neill. The people are in imminent danger, and if they do not agree to be transplanted to another world, they will drown."  
  
"Why me?" Jack asked.  
  
"The Asgard know you. You have great power of persuasion, and you are a leader, so you already know how to speak to other leaders. Hopefully, you can do what we cannot."  
  
"Yeah, well... what about Daniel? Daniel's pretty persuasive."  
  
"Doctor Jackson is welcomed to come, but we must leave as soon as possible."  
  
"Well... Daniel's... um... out of town, right now, so he can't come. Not yet."  
  
"We cannot wait for him, then."  
  
"I have to go back to the SGC," Jack said, giving up. He didn't know why he even bothered to argue with Thor; he always ended up doing what he wanted to do anyways. "I need to explain to them what's going on and I need to find someone to watch Shawn-"  
  
There was a flash of light, and General Hammond and Major Carter suddenly appeared on the bridge of the Asgard ship.  
  
"Aaaaaaa!" 


	6. 6

"Would you STOP doing that?" Jack told Thor, reaching for Shawn once more as the boy stared at the two figures that had just appeared out of nowhere with nothing but a flash of bright light to announce them. "Are you trying to give him a heart attack?"  
  
Thor blinked, and Shawn realized who it was that had just shown up.  
  
"Sam!"  
  
"Carter knelt down as Shawn rushed to her arms and she hugged the boy tightly, understanding completely his need to be reassured.  
  
"You okay?" She asked.  
  
"Um..." He didn't seem to know how to answer that. He wasn't hurt, as far as she could tell – and she knew if he was that O'Neill would have been far more furious or worried than he was acting, but he had to be feeling as unbalanced as he'd ever felt in his life. "I don't know."  
  
"Are you injured, son?" Hammond asked as Sam let Shawn go and stood up once more.  
  
Shawn shook his head.  
  
"But I'll bet you're confused?"  
  
Shan nodded.  
  
"So am I." Hammond looked over at Thor, who was quietly watching the exchange. "What's going on, Commander Thor?"  
  
Thor turned to Jack, figuring he was the one to tell his Commanding officer what was going on. Jack sighed.  
  
"The Asgard found some humans on a planet that are in danger of being wiped out by their planet being in some kind of odd orbit that's going to flood them sometime in the near future. They want to move them, but when they contacted the people on this planet, they got a slightly less than desired welcome. The people are afraid of them."  
  
"Because they're gray," Shawn added.  
  
"And they don't trust that Thor and his buddies aren't out to screw them over and steal their planet."  
  
"What does this have to do with you? With us?" Hammond turned to Thor, "Are you asking that we take them in? We could prob-"  
  
"They have a place to put them, Sir," Jack interrupted. "They just need someone to convince them to go. Someone who isn't gray."  
  
"You?"  
  
"So they say."  
  
"It is imperative that we accomplish this as soon as possible. Even with Asgard technology, it will be no small feat to transplant the people and their belongings in the short time we have." Thor told them all.  
  
"Why Colonel O'Neill?" Carter asked. Her voice was so filled with curiosity at their choice that Jack scowled at her, and Shawn made a noise that might have been a snicker.  
  
"He's honest, and a leader. Your people do what he tells them, we're hoping that the Pe'aoli will do the same."  
  
"So... anyways," Jack said, shrugging. "If I'm going to go do this, I need someone to watch Shawn fo-"  
  
"Can't I go, Jack?"  
  
"No."  
  
"But I want-"  
  
"It's too dangerous."  
  
"There is no danger, O'Neill."  
  
"It's too far." Jack said, as the beginnings of a headache started to throb above his right eye.  
  
"You're going."  
  
"That's different."  
  
"I want to go home, then."  
  
"You can't, your parents are gone."  
  
"I'll call them."  
  
"Shawn," Sam interrupted this before it went too far. "You can't tell-"  
  
"Thor?" Hammond interrupted Sam. The Asgard looked at the General. "Is this really a safe trip? Is Colonel O'Neill in any danger?"  
  
"The Pe'aoli are a peaceful race, who live on a planet the Goa'uld know nothing about. They are in danger, but only from their planet. Nothing more."  
  
"Sir-"  
  
"Colonel. The boy wants to go, and quite frankly, if you're going, I can't think of anything else to do with him that won't pose a threat to the SGC's security."  
  
"Keep him with Carter."  
  
"Major Carter's going with you."  
  
"I am?"  
  
"She is?"  
  
"As much as I trust your... diplomatic abilities, Colonel, there's always the chance that these Pe'aoli folks might listen to her, simply because she's a woman."  
  
"That is correct," Thor said. "I was going to suggest that Major Carter accompany us as well for that very reason."  
  
"Shawn can't-"  
  
"Should I lock him in a cell while you're gone?" Hammond asked, ruthlessly. "That's the only thing I can think of to keep him out of the way, and to keep him from calling his folks."  
  
"Of course not," Jack snapped.  
  
"Well?"  
  
Jack sighed.  
  
"Thor? How long is this trip going to take?"  
  
"Many hours, even traveling at the maximum speed of this vessel."  
  
"Can we get back by Monday night?"  
  
Thor looked at Carter.  
  
"Sixty-five hours, or so."  
  
"Yes. We should have plenty of time."  
  
Jack sighed again, looking down at the boy, who was looking up at him, pleading in every way he could without actually saying anything.  
  
"Fine. He can come." Jack held his hand up to stop Shawn's whoop of success. "But! You stay on the ship, no matter what. And if something goes wrong, Thor, you get him the hell out of the area."  
  
"Agreed."  
  
"Fine. We're going to need some supplies."  
  
"What do you require, O'Neill?" Thor asked, his hand already on the right arm of his chair.  
  
"Guns, clothes, food..."  
  
"Guns?" Sam asked. "It's not going to be very convincing if we show up with weapons, telling them that we're peaceful and they can trust us."  
  
"Fine." Jack's head was really starting to hurt. The last thing he wanted to do was spend the weekend off on some crazy mission. "No guns. Clothes, though, and food. I'm not eating any alien stuff if I can avoid it."  
  
"Anything else, Colonel?" Hammond asked.  
  
"Aspirin."  
  
"Ice Cream!" Shawn interjected.  
  
Jack sighed again, and rubbed his head. 


	7. 7

It didn't take Thor long to gather the supplies Jack requested. Luckily, Carter and O'Neill both kept extra clothing in their lockers on the base. Shawn was a bit more of a challenge, until Thor zapped some clothes from the dresser in Jack's guest room. In deference to the boy's reaction every time something materialized out of nowhere, the Asgard sent everything into one of the many storage holds on the ship. There were less screams that way. Hammond was sent back down to the surface; since he wasn't needed and there was absolutely no way he could leave the SCG for a weekend unless he was.  
  
"Good luck, Colonel. Major. Stay out of trouble, Shawn."  
  
"Thank you, Sir," Jack said. Shawn didn't answer. He was slowly inching his way over to the forcefield window, and was peering down with an inscrutable look on his pale face.  
  
"It's not too late to change your mind, Shawn," Jack told him. "General Hammond has a couple of grand daughters you could spend the weekend playing with."  
  
"No," Shawn looked down once more, and then walked over to stand by Jack and Sam. "I'll come with you."  
  
Sam shook her head, thinking Jack could have picked a different thing to coax the boy to stay with than little girls to play with. He had to have known that even if Shawn were wavering, he'd definitely choose to go if that was the only other option he had. Ah well. Sam was certain that if there were any danger, Thor wouldn't have allowed the boy to come. As it was, Carter was pretty sure Hammond was just trying to buy time to figure out what to do about Shawn knowing about the Asgards, period. A trip into space wasn't going to change what the boy knew.  
  
Once Hammond was gone, Jack went off in search of aspirin in the medical kit he'd requested Thor send up, leaving Shawn alone on the bridge with Sam and the Asgard Commander. Thor called up all the information that the Asgard had compiled on the people they were going to visit, and Sam went to a control panel on the right wall of the bridge to study it.  
  
Shawn went with her, but he didn't understand anything she was looking at, and he didn't want to get in her way or bother her with questions. He looked over at the door that Jack had left through, but didn't know if he would be allowed to go looking for him. Which left Thor.  
  
The boy looked at the small alien speculatively. He wasn't all that much different in size than Shawn was, which made him a bit easier for Shawn's mind to accept than if Thor were 30 feet tall and had tentacles. He was about the same height, but there was an infinite knowledge in those big dark eyes that even Shawn, as young and inexperienced as he was in life, could recognize. But Shawn was also a nine-year-old boy, and they had other priorities than the meaning of life.  
  
"So... uh... Mr. um... Thor?"  
  
The alien turned his head to face the youngster.  
  
"Can you shoot laser beams out of your eyes?"  
  
Carter choked back her laughter with an effort, and turned her head just in time to see Thor's eyes widen in surprise at the question.  
  
"No. I cannot."  
  
"Out of your fingertips?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Do you have x-ray vision?"  
  
"What is x-ray vision?"  
  
"You know... can you see through stuff? Like Superman?"  
  
"No." Thor didn't have a clue who Superman was.  
  
"Oh." Shawn's voice held a little disappointment, and Sam smiled, and came to Thor's rescue.  
  
"Thor's race saved Colonel O'Neill's life once."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yup." Sam went back to reading the information on the screen, and Shawn went back to studying the little gray alien, who was finding it to be a little uncomfortable to be on the opposite end of such scrutiny. Usually it was Thor who was doing the examining.  
  
"Can you-"  
  
"How is it you know Colonel O'Neill?" Thor asked, cutting off the next question before it could begin.  
  
"He was my counselor. At summer camp."  
  
"Summer camp? Is this an SGC program?"  
  
"What's SGC?"  
  
"Star-"  
  
"Thor," Sam interrupted. "Summer camp is a place for youngsters like Shawn to go during the summer. They spend a week having fun. Swimming, hiking... stuff like that."  
  
"Ah." The little alien was silent for a moment, and Shawn stepped a little closer to him to get a better look at him.  
  
"How come you don't wear clothes?"  
  
"What kind of things did you and Colonel O'Neill do at camp?" Thor asked.  
  
"We went rock climbing, and sailing, and horseback riding. Daniel broke his arm riding Ole Smokey."  
  
"What is an 'Ole Smokey'?"  
  
"One of the camp horses." Shawn said, reaching out and touching Thor with a finger to see what his skin felt like. "Where's your nose? How do you smell stuff?"  
  
Thor sighed. 


	8. 8

It was O'Neill who rescued Thor from the endless questioning, even though he didn't know it. The doors to the bridge opened and he walked in, carrying a half-empty bottle of water, with a couple more stuffed into his pockets, and a carton of ice cream in the other hand.  
  
"Thor?"  
  
The small alien turned away from the boy almost gladly, and looked at O'Neill.  
  
"Do you have any spoons?"  
  
He held up the carton of ice cream.  
  
"Is that ice cream, Jack?" Shawn asked, leaving Thor's side, and walking over.  
  
"Yup. Rocky Road. Want some?"  
  
"Yes." He remembered his manners. "Please."  
  
"We need spoons."  
  
Thor got up from his Command chair and walked to the side of the bridge and pressed a button gently. A drawer of sorts opened, and he closed it, then opened it again, obviously showing them how the mechanism worked.  
  
"In the 5th door down from the exit you just entered through, you will find a number of drawers like these. Just look through them until you find what you need."  
  
Thor wasn't positive what spoons were, but he'd figured they needed something to eat with, and if that's what it took to get a few minutes of respite from the boy, then O'Neill and Shawn could have all his spoons.  
  
"Thanks." O'Neill held out a bottle of water. "You want some?"  
  
"Thank you, no."  
  
"Carter?"  
  
"Yes, Sir. Thanks." She gave him a warm smile as he handed her the bottle. One he returned.  
  
"Shawn and I'll be looking for spoons, if you need us, call."  
  
"We will be fine," Thor said, returning to his chair.  
  
Sam thought she detected a bit of relief in his voice, but she only smiled.  
  
~*~  
  
"So, Thor's not the only Ass-guard?"  
  
"Azz-gard," Jack corrected, opening the 5th door down. "No, he's not. There's a lot of them, I think. I've only met a few."  
  
He stopped, looking at the room. There had to have been a hundred of those mechanisms Thor had shown them. Shawn obviously came up with the same conclusion, because he looked up at Jack.  
  
"The ice cream will melt before we find some spoons."  
  
"Yeah, well... we'll split up. You take that side; I'll take this one. Just look for spoons. If you see something... alien... don't touch it, okay? It might be dangerous."  
  
"Okay, Jack."  
  
They began opening drawers.  
  
There were all sorts of interesting things in the drawers. Even Jack, who'd already told Shawn not to play with anything he saw, found it hard not to pull things from the drawers and examine them. Instruments of all shapes and sizes, crystal thingies, little round thingies, long, thin thingies, some made glass, some made of metal of some sort, all of it interesting. Jack was examining a piece of metal that looked like one of those crazy straws that kids used, when Shawn called his name.  
  
"Jack?"  
  
O'Neill turned and saw the boy holding up a flat piece of plastic that was about the right size to be a spoon – used as a spoon, anyways – which also had a slight curve at the end.  
  
"Looks right to me," Jack said, putting his silly straw looking thing away and walking over. "Is there more than one?"  
  
"The drawer is full of them." Shawn held up another one. "What do you suppose they are?"  
  
"For all I know, they're shoehorns," Jack said, reaching into the drawer and taking one.  
  
"Thor doesn't wear shoes."  
  
"Well, then, he won't mind if we use them for spoons, will he?"  
  
Shawn smiled, and closed the drawer. "I suppose not."  
  
O'Neill opened the carton of ice cream, and looked around for something to sit on, but there wasn't anything. He wondered if the Asgards just all sat around on the floor, or if there was some mechanism that brought chairs out from the wall or the floor. Ah, well, they could sit on the floor.  
  
"Shawn, we need to talk."  
  
He led the boy over to the far wall, and sat down, leaning his back against the cool surface. Shawn sat next to him, and Jack opened the ice cream and scooped some out with his shoehorn thing. It was a bit bigger than a spoon, but it worked fairly well. He handed the carton to Shawn, and watched as the boy took a scoop for himself, although Shawn was watching Jack. O'Neill took a bite of his ice cream, trying to gather his thoughts.  
  
"This is probably pretty strange to you, huh?"  
  
Shawn nodded. "How come I never heard about the Ass-guards before?"  
  
"Azz-guards," Jack corrected. Again. "They're kind of a secret, Shawn. They've been around a long time, but they don't want everyone to know about them, so they hide."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Well... they have a lot of... um... advanced stuff. Like this ship we're on. The US doesn't have anything like this, you know?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"If the people of the US – or China, or Russia, or Japan, or anywhere – knew that there were aliens flying around in space in these kinds of ships, they'd probably be afraid. You know how they show aliens on TV and in the movies. Laser beams coming out of their eyes, death ray guns, rounding up people to eat them... People would be afraid of that kind of stuff happening on Earth."  
  
"Thor seems nice."  
  
"Thor and his race are great, Shawn. They've pulled my che – they've helped us out of some serious jams a few times, and we owe them big time for it."  
  
"Is that why you're helping him with these Pe'lonians?"  
  
"It's Pal'oialans," Jack corrected – incorrectly. "And that's a big part of it, yes. But we can talk about that later. Right now, I want to discuss the Asgard."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"They're a very peaceful race of folks, Shawn. But they have some weapons that could do a lot of damage to a lot of people, and they don't want those weapons to get into the wrong hands."  
  
"Like when I found your gun?"  
  
"Exactly!" Jack couldn't have come up with a better analogy himself. "You had a powerful weapon in your hand, and didn't have a clue how dangerous it really was. I knew, because it was mine, which is why I took it away from you before you could hurt yourself with it."  
  
"Or someone else."  
  
"Or someone else, yes." Jack licked the last of the ice cream off his shoehorn spoon and scooped out another glob. "Now, say someone in another country... Canada, for instance, finds out about the Asgard."  
  
"Canada?"  
  
"Yeah. Say they find out about the Asgard, and find out the Asgard have all these powerful weapons. Weapons never seen on Earth before. Chances are, they'd want some. And they'd keep making a fuss until they got what they wanted."  
  
"Like how I got you to let me come with you?"  
  
"Yeah." Another good analogy. "So, say the Canadians get this weapon – somehow. Then they'd have a weapon in their hands that they didn't know how to use or how much damage it could do."  
  
"Like your gun."  
  
"Only a LOT worse."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"So, we keep the fact that we know about the Asgard a secret. That way no one panics, and no one tries to get hold of any of their technology."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Do you understand what I'm telling you, Shawn?"  
  
"Yeah. You keep the Ass-Asgard a secret because it's better for them to be a secret than be out in the open. Safer, too, I suppose..."  
  
"Much safer."  
  
"Who all knows about them?"  
  
"The President. Some people in the military, like me, Sam and Teal'c. A few civilians, like Daniel. Some-"  
  
"Is that why Cheyenne Mountain is such a secret place, Jack?" Shawn asked. "Because the Ass-guards come and talk to you there?"  
  
"That's part of it, Shawn," Jack agreed. "Although sometimes they just beam us up, like Thor did."  
  
"That was pretty scary."  
  
"I know. I'm sorry. He wasn't supposed to do it when you were with mean, and I know he didn't mean to scare you. He's a pretty good guy when you get to know him."  
  
Shawn nodded.  
  
"They're a secret, though."  
  
"And I can't tell anyone, right?"  
  
"Nobody. Not even your mom and dad."  
  
"Okay, Jack."  
  
It was only fair. Jack had never told his folks about the incident with his gun. Shawn could keep Jack's secret just as easily.  
  
O'Neill nodded. He wasn't certain if Hammond had something else in mind to keep Shawn from spilling the beans about the Asgard, but Jack had done all he could. 


	9. 9

They sat and ate their ice cream for a while in silence, and then Shawn asked Jack what SGC stood for.  
  
"Where did you hear that?" Jack asked, curiously.  
  
"Thor mentioned it." Shawn licked his spoon thing clean and set it aside. He'd had enough ice cream. He was getting brain freeze.  
  
"It stands for Stargate Command," Jack said, carefully. "That's another term for Cheyenne Mountain, but usually one that only Thor and his buddies use." Yeah, that wasn't exactly true, but it was better than telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth. There was no way in hell that Jack was going to tell Shawn about the Stargate. One thing to know about aliens flying around, quite another to know about easy access to all of them.  
  
"What's a Gould?"  
  
"A what?" Jack asked.  
  
"A..." Shawn fell silent, trying to remember the exact way to say it. "Goa'uld."  
  
"I can't tell you, Shawn." Jack shook his head. "You already know more than you should."  
  
"But-"  
  
"Not this time, buddy." He got to his feet, and watched as Shawn did, too. "Don't ask me to tell you. I would get into a lot of trouble, and so would Sam. You'll just have to trust me on this one. Okay?"  
  
Shawn didn't look pleased, but he nodded.  
  
"Okay, Jack."  
  
"Good. Now, let's go see what Sam and Thor are doing."  
  
~*~  
  
Sam and Thor were still doing what they'd been doing when Jack and Shawn had left. Thor was sitting in his command chair, and Carter was reading the screen in front of her.  
  
"Are we there, yet?" Jack asked when he and Shawn walked through the door.  
  
Sam looked up and started to say something, but saw the gleam of good humor in his brown eyes and realized he was just kidding. Thor didn't catch on so quickly.  
  
"It will take us many more hours to reach our destination, O'Neill."  
  
Shawn walked over to stand next to Thor's chair once more, and Jack joined him.  
  
"How-?"  
  
"If you would like, I can show you some more holograms," Thor offered, cutting off whatever question was going to come from the boy's mouth next.  
  
"Of what?" Shawn asked, curiously.  
  
"What are you interested in?"  
  
"Jack."  
  
Sam grinned, and Jack gave her the 'hey, what can I say?' look.  
  
"What else?" Thor persisted.  
  
"Sam."  
  
Thor sighed.  
  
"What else, Shawn?" Sam asked, coming to Thor's rescue again. It was entertaining for her to see the Asgard so off balance, but she had to feel sorry for him. "Like volcanoes, or planets, or meteors, or something like that. Something you'd like to know more about."  
  
"Like Daniel's Archeology?" Shawn asked. The boy had become more interested in the science since meeting Daniel, and had found it to be rather interesting. Dead people could be fascinating, if you could find out their stories.  
  
"Yeah, like that." Sam looked over at Thor. "Can you show him some ancient ruins? Earth ruins," She added, making sure he didn't think she'd meant the Ancients. "Maybe show them one at a time?" She doubted he'd know what a slideshow was.  
  
"Of course," Thor said, moving his finger over the control console. The hologram appeared once more in front of him, but this time, instead of a galaxy they didn't recognize, it was of ancient Rome.  
  
"Wow..." Shawn was a little more prepared this time, and was able to appreciate just how cool the technology was, instead of being startled or frightened. He stepped up, right into the hologram, touching it. "That's awesome."  
  
"That is Rome, as you see it today," Thor said in his soft voice. The hologram changed, and the ruins were suddenly brand new buildings, gleaming in the bright sun of what was a gorgeous afternoon. "This is how it looked when it was first built."  
  
"Wow! How do you know?" Shawn turned and looked at Thor.  
  
"We've been studying your people for a very long time," Thor said. "Off and on for centuries."  
  
"Can you show me another one?" Shawn asked, eagerly.  
  
"Of course." Thor almost seemed as eager to do it as Shawn was to have him do it. Sam hid a smile as she went back to reading her information. Probably the little Asgard didn't relish the thought of many more hours of questions about laser beams and x-ray vision. 


	10. 10

The holograms kept Shawn interested for the better part of an hour, which was probably a record for a little boy on a road trip. Then he got bored with them, or maybe just got sensory overload, because he finally shook his head and stepped back.  
  
"That's pretty cool, Thor." The boy said. "What else can you do?"  
  
He'd lasted longer than Jack, who had been leaning against the wall next to Carter, just watching her read. O'Neill looked up when Shawn spoke, and turned to Thor as well, wondering what the Asgard would come up with next. Thor blinked.  
  
"Maybe you'd like to hear about the people we're going to meet?" Sam asked, once again coming to Thor's rescue. She had a feeling he wasn't up to entertaining little boys. "The Pe'aoli are pretty interesting."  
  
"Oh?" Shawn turned from Thor and walked over to stand next to Jack. Sam was almost certain she heard a relieved sigh come from the small alien in the Command chair.  
  
"Sure." Sam said, moving a little so he could look in the screen she was looking in. "They're farmers, mostly. They grow crops, and animals, and they seem to be just what Thor said they are. Peaceful. They're planet is a lot like Earth is, only the ratio of precipitation and water to land mass is much more pronounced."  
  
Shawn stared. A stare Sam knew so well, since she saw it all the time from O'Neill.  
  
"There's more water on this planet than there is on Earth."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"They also don't have anywhere near as many people as we have on Earth. Which is a good thing, I suppose, since that will mean less for the Asgard to move."  
  
"If you can get them to go." Shawn said.  
  
"Yeah. But we will, I'm sure."  
  
"Me, too, Sam."  
  
Carter smiled down at him, realizing just how strange it had to be for the boy. "Not exactly what you and Jack had planned for the weekend is it?"  
  
"No. We were just going to play Playstation and eat junk food."  
  
"Thor?" Sam turned to the Asgard once more. "You must have simulators of some sort on this ship."  
  
"Of course, Major Carter. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Got anything that'd be simple enough for Shawn to learn? Something he could play with to make the trip go faster for him?"  
  
"Brilliant, Carter," Jack said, smiling.  
  
Thor looked at the boy thoughtfully for a moment, and then stood. "Follow me."  
  
He led them off the bridge and down the corridor towards a small room that wasn't all that far from where Jack and Shawn had eaten their ice cream. The room appeared to be empty, until Thor spoke a word in some language that none of them understood. Then an opening appeared in the floor and a chair rose up out of it. A perfectly sized chair for an Asgard, which meant it was also well proportioned for a youngster like Shawn.  
  
"Sit in the chair," Thor instructed.  
  
Shawn scrambled into it, grinning excitedly.  
  
Thor walked over to the wall and opened a panel they hadn't noticed before, and then pressed a button. Another hologram appeared, in front of Shawn's chair, but this one was similar to a heads-up display in an F-15, Jack noticed.  
  
"This is a simulation that was originally used to train Asgard pilots how to fly the various shuttles and craft that we possess. It hasn't been used in a very long time; since the knowledge is something we have no need to relearn every time we... well, anyways, we never use it. However, it will keep you occupied."  
  
He walked over to the chair again, and placed his long-fingered delicate hand over Shawn's, pressing buttons on the control console on the arms of the chair, but at the same time showing Shawn how to press them as well and showing him what each did. Every time a button was pressed, the heads-up display changed as well. Shawn nodded.  
  
"How do you take off and land?" He asked.  
  
"You do not. Asgard shuttles are docked inside ships such as this one, and are launched from a bay. It is a simple matter of thrust to get them moving in the right direction. You may practice that as much as you wish." He pressed another button, and a landing bay appeared on the heads-up display as well.  
  
"There is nothing you can do in this simulator that can damage the ship, so feel free to do whatever you desire." It was obvious to Carter and O'Neill that Thor was ready to let the boy sit in the simulator the entire trip if that's what it took to keep him occupied. He went back to the panel in the wall, and pressed a few more buttons and lights, and turned back to Shawn, who was pressing buttons of his own, changing the heads-up display, obviously enthralled with this new toy.  
  
"The instructions are as simplistic as I can make them," he said. "If you require more assistance, I'll be on the bridge."  
  
He turned to go, and Carter followed him, leaving Jack to keep Shawn company, although the boy was already reading the instructions that were coming across the display in front of him, pressing whatever button or lighted panel the program told him to press.  
  
"Um, Thor?"  
  
The Asgard looked up at Carter as the two walked back to the bridge.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Aren't you worried about letting him learn your technology?" Sam asked. It was very out of character from what she'd seen from the Asgard in the past.  
  
"There is very little he could learn during the short journey we are taking, Major Carter. Our shuttles take far longer to learn to fly than you might think, and he is, after all, only a small child. There is no harm in allowing him to be on the simulator, especially if it will keep him occupied."  
  
Carter nodded, although she wasn't so sure. She changed the subject to the Pe'aoli, then, and started asking him about the Asgard's plans to move them and the new planet they had in mind for them. If she was going to help try and convince them to leave, she should know a little more about where she was going to try and convince them to go. 


	11. 11

By the time they made their arrival in the galaxy the Pe'aoli lived in, Sam was pretty sure she knew as much about the people living there as she knew about the ones on Earth. Jack had joined Sam and Thor on the bridge about an hour after Thor had put Shawn in the simulator chair and Sam gave him a rundown on the people, telling O'Neill that they appeared to be everything the Asgard said they were. Peaceful farmers.  
  
"Shouldn't be any problems, then?" Jack had asked.  
  
"They don't appear to have any weapons aside from slings and knives, Sir, and these are just used for defending their herds, or for daily life."  
  
"Good."  
  
"Shawn still playing the simulator?"  
  
"Oh, yeah." Jack grinned. "He got bored with the shuttle once he learned the controls, and went on to some glider thing. Apparently, the shuttles don't do anything."  
  
"They are used for transport, O'Neill," Thor told him.  
  
"Yeah, well, Shawn asked for something better, and the computer threw him a fighter of some sort. He's in there doing barrel rolls and loop the loops."  
  
"Sounds fun." Sam said with a smile.  
  
"As long as he is occupied," Thor said.  
  
"You'll probably have to pry him out of that chair when we get done." If all else failed, Jack knew where to find shoehorns, at least. "He's about as preoccupied as I've ever seen him. Which means we likely won't see him unless we go looking for him. Good idea, Sam."  
  
"Thank you, Sir."  
  
O'Neill's prediction had proved correct. When they entered orbit around the planet, Shawn had been sitting in the chair of the simulator for over six hours, and still hadn't reappeared on the bridge. Jack had checked on him a few times, but Shawn said he was fine. He looked fine, too. He'd graduated from barrel rolls to dog fighting - or whatever the Asgard called it – and seemed to be doing pretty well, although the last time Jack had checked, he was being shot down by some nasty looking craft that seemed to be bristling with weapons. Shawn had made a noise of disgust, grinned at Jack, and restarted his simulation.  
  
"Kind of like a never ending video game?" Jack had said, smiling as the boy launched his fighter from the landing bay.  
  
"Only you never need quarters."  
  
Jack had laughed and left him to his fun, although if the chair had been bigger, he might have had Shawn teach him to play it, too, since it looked interesting.  
  
"You think Shawn will want to see this?" Sam asked as they watched the blue planet on the forward viewing window grow larger and larger.  
  
"Yeah. I think he needs a break from the video game, anyways," Jack said, getting up from where he'd been lounging on the floor near where Sam. "I'll go get him."  
  
If nothing else could be said for the simulator, it at least made it easy to find the boy. When he'd originally been cajoled into taking Shawn, Jack had had visions of chasing the boy around the Asgard ship, trying to keep him from going crazy from boredom and pushing buttons. With the simulator, he was quiet and sedate, and they didn't have to worry about him accidentally touching the wrong button and blowing up the ship.  
  
O'Neill walked into the room just in time to see Shawn blowing an entire planet to shreds. The simulator showed the explosion from every angle and it was very impressive.  
  
"Whatcha doing?" Jack asked.  
  
"Just goofing around. I thought I'd see what other kinds of planes they have and what they could do."  
  
"Oh yeah? What are you flying now?"  
  
"A Raquardian Class Destroyer."  
  
"Ah. Nice."  
  
"It's awesome. You can blow up moons and stars if you want to. Not that I would in real life, but they make a pretty cool show when they go up." He pointed to the heads-up display.  
  
"That they do." Jack agreed. "We're at our destination. I thought you'd like to see it."  
  
"Yeah, I would."  
  
He shut down the simulator with a practiced hand, and hopped out of the chair, looking just a little unsteady for the time he'd spent in it.  
  
"You should have landed the plane in your landing bay before turning it off," Jack told him, grinning.  
  
"It doesn't go in a landing bay," Shawn told him with a grin. "It's too big."  
  
"Ah."  
  
They walked back to the bridge, Shawn shaking his hands to get feeling back into his arms. Heavy duty video game playing! His parents would have a fit if they knew.  
  
"How was the simulator?" Sam asked Shawn as the two walked in.  
  
"Great! I was kicking some serious butt."  
  
"That's great, Shawn."  
  
"Shuttles are not designed to 'kick butt ,'" Thor said from his Command chair. Shawn grinned and walked over to stand next to the chair, leaning slightly against it, although he was careful not to touch anything.  
  
"I wasn't flying the shuttle."  
  
"We're at the planet, Shawn," Sam said, interrupting before the boy could start asking Thor about lasers or anything else. She pointed at the view screen. The planet was there in front of them, and Shawn could see that another ship was off to the side of the one they were on. This one was a huge one, obviously one that would be used to carry all the people.  
  
"Where are you and Jack going to go?"  
  
Thor brought up a hologram that showed the planet, then scaled it down a bit to show the few land masses, then scaled it even further to show one single, small mass.  
  
"This is where the majority of the people live. Most of their world is yet unexplored. The oceans of the planet are dangerous, and they have not yet advanced enough to make sea-going vessels that are safe enough to negotiate the distances."  
  
Thor waved his hand and a close up of the land mass showed up in more detail.  
  
"There is a large community in this area, where we will send you and Major Carter, O'Neill. In your present attire, you should fit in well enough that you do not frighten them. However, we will be monitoring you to make sure that if for some reason something does go wrong we can bring you back to the ship."  
  
"Yeah," Jack said. "Communication devices will definitely help." He looked at Shawn. "You do whatever Thor tells you while we're gone, understood?"  
  
Shawn nodded.  
  
"Are you ready, O'Neill?"  
  
"Sam?"  
  
"Ready, Sir."  
  
Jack nodded to Thor and shrugged. "We're ready."  
  
"Good luck, Jack!"  
  
"Thanks, buddy."  
  
There was a flash of light and they were gone. 


	12. 12

"It's awfully... green."  
  
Sam nodded. They'd been set down in a field about an hour from the main population center of the planet. Not wanting to cause a scare among the gentle people of the planet, they would walk into the city, instead of beaming down into the middle of them.  
  
"Look, a cow." Sam pointed over to the right, where a creature that was almost definitely a cow was standing, watching them. Obviously their appearance had interrupted her grazing, since there were stalks of grass hanging from her mouth. Jack looked down at the ground.  
  
"I should have worn boots."  
  
Sam smiled, and shook her head. "Just watch where you step, Sir."  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
He looked around, very much aware that he was on a strange planet with no weapon in his hand. Something he hated more than anything. "See anything that looks like a road?"  
  
"Nope." Sam smiled; it was a beautiful day, the air smelled fresh and clean, and she was with Jack. Walking wouldn't be that bad.  
  
Jack wasn't quite so cheerful.  
  
"How far to this town?"  
  
"About an hour or so."  
  
"And we have to walk through this field?"  
  
"Yes, Sir."  
  
"Of long grass and hidden dangers?"  
  
"I'm afraid so, Sir."  
  
He scowled. She didn't look all that sorry to him. Sam saw the scowl and grinned.  
  
"Come on, it won't be that bad."  
  
"Maybe we could find a road, and have Thor beam us to that, instead?"  
  
"There aren't all that many roads. Mostly paths."  
  
"How many people live on this planet?"  
  
"If you count all the outlaying areas and all the scattered farms the Asgard have found, about 200,000."  
  
"And they don't have any roads?"  
  
"They walk, Jack. Or take carts or ride horses."  
  
"Well... maybe we can find a walking path, hmmm?"  
  
"Oh, yes. Horse crap is much more preferable to cow crap."  
  
"Hey, if it's on a road, I can see it coming and avoid it. Besides, we need to find a road anyways. We don't want some farmer thinking that we're going to steal his... cow."  
  
Sam nodded. "As soon as we find a road, or a path, I promise you can walk on it. Until then, we're stuck with the grass."  
  
Jack sighed, but Sam knew it was only half-hearted. He didn't hate nature quite as much as he was pretending to. She slid her hand into his, knowing that no one was around to care about the show of affection, and he squeezed it gently and sighed again.  
  
"Fine... we walk in the grass. But the Asgard are buying me new shoes. I just bought these."  
  
~*~  
  
"Are they down there?" Shawn asked Thor, looking up at the hologram. It wasn't showing him anything other than the planet, though, glowing blue in the emptiness of the space around it.  
  
"Yes. They landed exactly where Major Carter and I planned for them to land, and now they will proceed to the village, and hopefully will be able to convince the people there to gather up their friends and meet with them in a large number. If all goes well, they will then send runners to the other towns and farms, and will inform them of what is happening. Hopefully, sometime soon we will be able to start relocating them."  
  
"That's good."  
  
"Indeed. The others are waiting to hear from us before they start moving people and their belongings."  
  
He pointed to the ship that Shawn had noticed before, and then the boy realized there was more than one, he'd just missed the others.  
  
"How many of them are there?"  
  
"We have two transport ships, which are the biggest the Asgard possess. There are also two Destroyers, in case something happens we are not prepared for. These will provide extra room if we need to bring everyone up at once."  
  
"We're in a destroyer, right?"  
  
"Correct." The Asgard turned to Shawn. "How did you know that?"  
  
He shrugged, "The simulator pointed it out."  
  
He hesitated, and then asked. "What's a Goa'uld?"  
  
The little alien's calm gaze studied him closely.  
  
"What do you know of them?" He asked in reply.  
  
Shawn shook his head. "Nothing. Jack says he can't really tell me, because he'll get into trouble."  
  
"Then it would be best if I did not tell you, either."  
  
Shawn had pretty much expected that, but he sighed, anyways. "You've been to the SGC, though, right?"  
  
"Correct. Many times."  
  
"Did you beam yourself in?"  
  
"No. I used the Stargate."  
  
"The Stargate?"  
  
"Indeed. 'Beaming' myself is more complicated that just dialing in. And it would be a bad idea to leave the ship unattended in case the Goa'uld were to show up unannounced."  
  
"The Goa'uld are aliens, too?"  
  
Shawn couldn't help himself, although he knew he was pestering Thor, even after the Asgard had told him he wouldn't tell him about the Goa'uld. They sounded so interesting! If they were anywhere near as cool as the Asgard, Shawn definitely wanted to meet them.  
  
"They are, but I should not tell-"  
  
"You're a boy, right?" Shawn asked, changing the subject before Thor could tell him no again. He'd always come back to it later. "I mean, Sam and Jack call you a 'he', right?"  
  
"That is correct. I am male." Thor was once again finding himself on the receiving end of questioning that would make any interrogator proud.  
  
Shawn looked down. "Then where's your-"  
  
"What did you want to know about the Goa'uld?" Thor asked suddenly, knowing full well where the next question was going, and being far more unwilling to discuss his anatomy with the child than he was to discuss the Goa'uld. After all, if the boy knew about the Stargate – and he had to know about it if Colonel O'Neill allowed him into the SGC – then there was no harm in telling him about the Goa'uld, as well.  
  
"Everything," Shawn said, leaning forward onto the arm of the chair once more.  
  
Thor sighed, and wished heartily that O'Neill or Carter would check in. This would take hours to tell. Even Thor couldn't have everything he wished for, though, and he shifted a little in his chair, getting more comfortable.  
  
"The Goa'uld are a race of very small, snakelike creatures..." 


	13. 13

They found a road far sooner than Sam had expected them to. It wasn't much of a road, but it did give them a steadier surface to walk on, and it did stop O'Neill's continuous grumbling about cow pies. Sam knew him better than to take the grumbling seriously, but it was still a little annoying to hear the same complaint over and over again. Once they found the road, all Jack could complain about was walking, and since they hadn't been walking all that long, he really didn't have much to gripe about. Then they saw their first Pe'aoli.  
  
A very large dog came barking up to them. Not in a threatening manner, just making sure that his owner knew that someone was around that he didn't know. Jack and Sam froze instantly, Jack moving slightly in front of Sam to put himself between the dog and her. Sam knew he'd done it automatically, probably he didn't even realize it.  
  
"Nice doggie..." Jack said. "Sam, find me a rock."  
  
"You're such a diplomat, Sir," Carter said. She looked down, but the dirt road they were on didn't have anything bigger than small pebbles, and they wouldn't be much help against the creature in front of them.  
  
"Kall!"  
  
The dog turned his head at the voice, and so did Jack and Sam. Just in time to see a man trotting up to them. Deeply tanned from the sun, he was probably about the same size and build as Jack, dressed in plain homespun tunic and trousers with a wide hat that shaded his eyes from the bright sun. The man slowed when he saw them, then barked a command at his dog when he realized the two might think the dog was threatening them.  
  
"Kall, get over here, you hear?"  
  
The dog went running over to his owner and fell in beside him as he walked over to the pair.  
  
"Sorry about that. He wouldn't have hurt you."  
  
"Yeah. We didn't think he looked to be the sort." Jack said, trying to look a bit more confident than he felt.  
  
"Nah, he's not." The man looked the two over for a long moment, obviously checking them out, although his gaze lingered a little longer on Sam than it had Jack. He noted the different clothing, and the wristwatches and other items they wore that he hadn't ever seen before. And also noticed the way Jack had placed himself slightly between him and Sam, much as he had the dog.  
  
"You're not from here, are you?"  
  
"No, Sir," Jack said, shaking his head. There was no use lying about it. They weren't here to fit in, after all. "We're not."  
  
The man nodded, since it was the answer he'd expected.  
  
"You from the North?"  
  
"Oh... no, Sir. We're from much further away than that."  
  
"Travelers, then." The man nodded, and held out his hand. "I'm Relun."  
  
Jack took his hand. It was rough and strong. "I'm Jack. This is Sam."  
  
Relun shook Sam's hand as well, and looked down at his dog, who was wagging his tail happily. "That's Kall."  
  
"So we heard."  
  
"So, you're adventurers?"  
  
"No, Relun," Sam said, smiling. "We're here to meet you and your leaders. And all the rest of your folks."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"You're in danger."  
  
"I am?"  
  
"Not just you. Your whole planet is."  
  
Jack held up his hand for Carter to stop for a minute. "Relun? Is there a city near by? A town?"  
  
"Sure, just follow this road and it'll take you right there."  
  
"Why don't you walk with us? Then I can tell you what I know, and you can help us figure out how best to meet with as many people as we can in the least amount of time."  
  
The man rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He had other things to do, but it wasn't every day one saw strangers. Especially strangers talking about dangers and the like. There were very few dangers in Relun's world. Finally he nodded.  
  
"I wasn't going to go to town until tomorrow, but I suppose Kall and I could go today."  
  
"Good."  
  
"So, what's this danger we're all in?" Relun asked as the three of them turned and headed down the road, the dog bounding ahead, and then off to the side to chase something only he could smell.  
  
~*~  
  
"So the To'kra are good Goa'uld?" Shawn asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"But there's not very many of them?"  
  
"No. There are far more Goa'uld than there are To'kra. And the Goa'uld are purely evil. They use their hosts, and care nothing for the suffering of others."  
  
Shawn shook his head, unable to accept that anything could exist that was that mean. In his short existence, he'd seen only the basic good in life. He had loving parents, and had never suffered from abuse or anger. He'd never even been picked on by bullies, being far too good-natured to make much of a target for them.  
  
"What about-"  
  
"Thor?" It was Jack's voice, and Shawn hushed immediately.  
  
"Yes, O'Neill?"  
  
"We've made contact with one of the Pe'aoli. He's having a bit of trouble believing what we're telling him, although he has mentioned that the beaches near the closest city have been unusually high this season. We're going to head into the city and see what we can do to convince these folks."  
  
"Very well, O'Neill. Call if there is anything we can do to help you."  
  
"Will do. O'Neill out."  
  
Thor looked over at Shawn, who was looking at him.  
  
"I must inform the others of what is happening." He pressed a button in his chair that Shawn knew from the simulator was for communications, even though it wasn't marked in English on Thor's chair like it had been for Shawn, and three Asgard holograms formed on the bridge in front of Thor and the boy.  
  
"O'Neill and Carter have encountered one of the natives. They are proceeding to the city."  
  
"Is that a Human child, Commander Thor?" One of them asked, ignoring Thor's report and looking at Shawn. The boy lifted his chin slightly, in response to the challenging tone of voice.  
  
"It is. He is with Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter."  
  
"What is he doing there?"  
  
"Awaiting their return. As am I. He is causing no trouble, and O'Neill would not leave him on Earth, so he had to come along."  
  
"That is highly unusual." The voice wasn't so challenging, now, and all of them were looking at the boy thoughtfully. "Is he O'Neill's son?" One of the others asked, speculatively.  
  
Shawn shook his head, even as Thor did the same.  
  
"He is not. O'Neill is his Camp Counselor." Like that explained everything.  
  
"Ah. Perhaps O'Neill would allow us a chance to spend some time with the boy once this mission is over."  
  
"To what end?" Thor asked, well aware that the Asgard he was talking to have never seen a human child up close like this, and were just as curious as he was. Few had even been close to adult humans.  
  
"To ask him questions, Commander Thor. To learn about him."  
  
Thor shook his head, slightly, reaching out and putting one long-fingered hand on Shawn' shoulder. "This one asks far more questions than he answers." How well did Thor know! "However, when our mission is accomplished, you may make your request to Colonel O'Neill. It is not my decision to make."  
  
"Agreed."  
  
"Contact us when you have more information from O'Neill," another requested.  
  
A nod from Thor, and they all vanished. 


	14. 14

Author's Note: It's coming along well, I think. I hope you all agree. Bear in mind that some parts of the next chapters will be more serious, since it'll be a lot dialogue between Sam, Jack and the Pe'aoli (which I have to look up to make sure I'm spelling it right every time I type it in) Also, it's going to take a slight turn, but just for this chapter, I think....  
  
~*~  
  
"They look just like you," Shawn observed once the other Asgard had vanished completely from the bridge.  
  
"To Humans we look much alike," Thor agreed. "There are some differences, but they are subtle."  
  
Shawn nodded, willing to accept it, even though he didn't see any differences at all, and he wasn't sure what subtle meant.  
  
"How come you speak English?" Shawn asked. "Your things aren't marked in English." He pointed at the chair arm, which had a mark of some other language on it.  
  
"I am not speaking English," Thor told him. "I am speaking Asgard. You are merely hearing it in English. Had I been speaking Goa'uld, you'd still be hearing in English."  
  
"How?"  
  
"It's a program. Whoever is on the bridge will hear whatever language they and understand."  
  
"What if they speak more than one language? Like Daniel?"  
  
"They hear the one they are most familiar with."  
  
"What if they're familiar with more than one? Would they hear-"  
  
"They hear the one they speak and understand best. Doctor Jackson speaks many languages, yes, but he is most familiar with English, because it is what he grew up with. He would hear English. It is a common program."  
  
"Can people learn your language?" Shawn asked. "Human people, I mean?" He pointed at the sign on the chair once more. "Can they learn to read it?"  
  
"They would not need to," Thor said. "They can already understand-"  
  
"But what if you and I were down on the planet? I wouldn't be able to understand you, then."  
  
"I speak your language."  
  
"But I want to speak yours."  
  
Thor sighed. "Yes, Humans can learn Asgard. Obviously. I believe Doctor Jackson can speak and read some Asgard. I know he reads and speaks Goa'uld."  
  
"Could I learn it?" Shawn asked, eagerly.  
  
"I do not think Colonel O'Neill would approve..."  
  
"Why not? Jack likes you. He told me so."  
  
"He did?"  
  
Shawn nodded. "He said you guys were good."  
  
"I was not aware O'Neill held us in such regard."  
  
"You, mostly." Shawn corrected. "He likes you. You can tell by the way he acts around you." Shawn had Jack figured out pretty well. Jack yelled at the people he liked most. And he grumbled around them. He'd seen Jack do both with Thor.  
  
Thor was silent for a moment, looking at Shawn as speculatively as any of the other Asgard had. Finally, he nodded, reluctantly. "There is a way you could learn our language. A way you can learn it almost instantly. However, it is a secret, and I would request that you not tell anyone."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"There are many reasons. For one, it would seem as though I am experimenting on you, which is something that your people have many myths and stories about already, and are very sensitive to. It is also not something I would do. For another, it is not a common technique, and is most effective when used on the very young, when their minds are still forming. It can be fatal for adults, human or otherwise. Their brains are unable to take the changes that are applied to them. I do not wish for your entire SGC to come to me wanting to be implanted."  
  
"Would it hurt me?" Shawn asked, doubtfully. He wanted to learn the language, not die.  
  
"No. There will be a little discomfort, and you will be disorientated for a few moments, perhaps longer. It is a method I, myself, have used when I was very young. It is how the Asgard know so many different languages. We have them implanted into our brains."  
  
"I could learn more than Asgard this way?"  
  
"What other language would you want to learn?" Thor asked.  
  
"What else is there?"  
  
"Many. But I will not subject you to that. Asgard only."  
  
"And Goa'uld!" Shawn said.  
  
"Why would you wish to-"  
  
"Daniel speaks it."  
  
"You cannot tell Doctor Jackson-"  
  
"Okay, I won't, I promise." Shawn was practically writhing in excitement. "If your friends want to talk to me, it'd be a lot easier if I spoke their language, right? Right?"  
  
Thor sighed, wondering how they'd managed to get the discussion going this direction. He was also wondering how this little boy had managed to get him to admit to a technique that the Asgard had held so closely for so long. It was a procedure they'd learned from the Ancients. Former allies who had long since left the known areas of space to continue their travels elsewhere. O'Neill was the only Human who'd ever experienced first-hand the effects of the Ancients' technique, which was far more potent than the Asgard version.  
  
The Asgard had no desire to pass their entire knowledge to others. They had no need. They were longer-lived than anyone knew, and would always be around to share their knowledge when they found those who were advanced enough to understand what they were learning.  
  
They had, however, learned the technique way back in their past, and used it to teach their young the languages of the other races, knowing that time saved in learning that could be used to learn something else. Then they'd stopped having young completely, and the technique had fallen to the side, like the simulators and other methods of learning. None were needed anymore, but all were saved and held aside, in hopes that they would be again some day. But that wasn't something Thor was going to get into with Shawn. No more than his anatomy was.  
  
"If you wish, I will implant the language of the Asgard in your brain," Thor said.  
  
"And the Goa'uld," Shawn said, stubbornly.  
  
Knowing there was only one possible outcome to this discussion, Thor nodded. "But only if you give me your word that you will not divulge where you learned it."  
  
"Divulge?"  
  
"Tell."  
  
"I won't tell anyone. Not even Jack."  
  
"Very well." Thor stood up. "Follow me."  
  
Shawn and the Asgard walked into the same room that held the simulator Shawn had been playing with most of the trip, and Thor gestured to the chair.  
  
"Sit in it, please."  
  
Shawn scrambled into the chair, watching Thor intently.  
  
"This will hurt, but only for a moment. Do not be afraid."  
  
"I'm not."  
  
Thor brought a small glowing jewel looking thing over to Shawn, and pressed it gently against his left temple. There was a sharp pain and Shawn yelped. Before the noise was done echoing through the room, however, the pain was fading. Shawn's head felt odd, though, and the boy felt dizzy and a little sick.  
  
"Do not move," Thor said softly, moving away to put the stone back. Shawn couldn't have moved if he wanted to just then. He closed his eyes tightly to keep the world from spinning any more than it already was, and leaned back against the head brace of the chair, waiting for the dizziness to pass.  
  
~*~ 


	15. 15

"So these little gray people want to save us?" Relun asked, incredulously. "They think they can move everyone before the water rises and floods the crops?"  
  
The three of them had been walking and talking for about twenty minutes, and were nearing the town that the Pe'aoli had mentioned. There was a large body of water on the horizon, now, and the air that had smelled so fresh while they were in the fields now had a slightly salty tang to it. Still pleasant, just different.  
  
"They can move you, Relun," Carter assured him. "But they can't do it unless you all agree to be moved. They won't just move in and make you do what they tell you to."  
  
"The town Council has talked to them already? Really?"  
  
"Yup. But they were a bit nervous around them. The Asgard don't exactly look like you and me."  
  
"They sound like incredible people."  
  
"Oh, they have their moments."  
  
"I'll take you to the town Council, Jack, and hopefully you can convince them that these people are really not here to cause problems, and that it's safe. It is safe, right?"  
  
"Yes, it's a lot safer than staying here."  
  
They attracted a lot of attention as they walked through the town. They looked just strange enough that people wanted to know about them, but Relun wasn't stopping to tell them, and Jack and Sam didn't want to tell their story more times than they had to. Which meant that if these folks wanted to hear it, they had to come along. And many chose to do just that. By the time they reached the largest building in town - a three story wooden building that was glistening in the bright sun – the majority of the adults in the town were walking with them, and had sent their children off to fetch relatives. Something was going on, and they wanted to know what it was.  
  
~*~  
  
"Yes, the aliens came down," Rickart said. He looked over the crowd of people that had assembled in the large room that was obviously used for important town meetings, and shook his head. "They came out of nowhere. Little naked gray men with huge eyes. Telling us that the seas were rising and were going to drown us all if we didn't go with them!"  
  
There was a rumble of murmuring in the room as people talked that over with each other. Little gray men? Naked ones? Why hadn't the Council mentioned it before? What if they were right? The waters DID seem to be higher than usual, after all. The tides were almost touching the edges of town and completely overrunning the beaches, something that none of them had ever seen. Even on the rainiest of months.  
  
"They were lying!" Rickart shouted, over the noise of the crowd. "They have to be. How can we trust them to be looking out for us? They don't even know us."  
  
"They're good people," Jack said.  
  
The crowd looked Jack and Sam over with interest. These two were a mystery. Where had they come from? How did they know of the dangers?  
  
"They're alien." Shelan said. She was an older woman, and the only female on the Council of Seven.  
  
"We're alien, too," Sam said.  
  
"You don't look gray to me," Relun said.  
  
Sam smiled. "Alien just means different. It doesn't mean bad or good."  
  
"But these guys want to help you," Jack said. "Nothing more. They have a great new planet picked out for you to live on. Something that's just as nice as this place, only a lot safer. You just have to trust them."  
  
"Why should we?" Someone in the crowd shouted.  
  
"Because if you don't, you're going to die."  
  
That silenced that guy.  
  
"How do we know you're not one of them, just looking like us to trick us?"  
  
"We're as human as you are," Sam said.  
  
"They look like us," One woman agreed.  
  
"They sound like us, too," Another said.  
  
"I don't believe it."  
  
"How many of you have noticed the water rising?" Jack asked.  
  
Everyone raised their hands. They lived on the edge of the water, they knew it well, and all of them knew it was different than it had been. Even the oldest among them had commented that they'd never seen it so high.  
  
"Let me ask you something else," Jack said. "What do you have that the Asgard could possibly want to steal from you?"  
  
"I have a cow."  
  
"They don't need your cow."  
  
And so the arguing continued...  
  
~*~  
  
"How do you feel?"  
  
Shawn opened his eyes, reluctantly, but the dizziness seemed to have passed. "A little sick."  
  
"It will fade."  
  
"Did it work?"  
  
"It did."  
  
"How do I know? I was hearing you in English before you touched that thing to my head-"  
  
"What does this say?" Thor asked, pointing at a mark near the door.  
  
"Open."  
  
"And this?"  
  
"Duh. Close." Shawn realized neither of them was written in English. "Hey! I can read that!"  
  
"Indeed. You will find that you can read Asgard and Goa'uld with equal proficiency. As well as English, of course."  
  
"Probably better, since I don't read all that well in English, yet." Shawn admitted.  
  
"I could change that," Thor said, "But I will not. Otherwise, what I have done will be apparent. You will learn your native tongue at your own pace, and it will not make anyone suspicious as to-"  
  
"Thor." The voice was Jack's.  
  
"Yes, O'Neill?"  
  
"We've been talking to the town council, and a large part of the people of the town, and they want to talk to you. They seem to think that we're your servants or something." Jack's voice was filled with annoyance that even Thor could recognize. He hated arguing with people.  
  
"What would you like me to do, O'Neill?"  
  
"You'd better beam yourself down here and prove to these folks that you're not going to steal their cows."  
  
"I shall have one of the others come over to the ship to watch your young friend," Thor said. "Then I-"  
  
"No." Jack didn't know the other Asgard, and he wasn't going to leave Shawn alone with them. "Bring him along. These folks aren't going to hurt him." 


	16. 16

Author's Note: How's this for ironic? As I write this, I'm watching the Mariners playing the Rockies on TV. (for those of you that haven't read Aftermaths, you won't get that, and some of those that did might not get it either)  
  
~*~  
  
Thor called to the other Asgard, telling them that he and the boy were going down to the planet surface. He requested that they send someone over to his ship, to make sure that it was manned, just in case something happened. Almost immediately, a flash of white light heralded the arrival of a newcomer. Shawn flinched, but didn't scream. He was getting used to things like that happening.  
  
The Asgard looked the boy over with interest, even as Shawn compared the two of them. This one was a little taller than Thor, and maybe a little slimmer, although not by much. The Asgard reached out and touched the boy, who reached out and touched him at the same time. He felt the same as Thor.  
  
"Interesting," The Asgard said, touching Shawn's soft cheek.  
  
"We do not have time for this," Thor said. "O'Neill requires my presence."  
  
"Leave the boy with me. He will be safe."  
  
"O'Neill will not allow this. He requested the child to accompany me."  
  
The Asgard nodded, and Thor touched a small glowing device he'd pulled from a shelf. "We will return shortly." Then he and Shawn vanished from the bridge.  
  
~*~  
  
"Aaaaaaa!"  
  
There was a collective scream from most of the crowd that Thor and Shawn materialized in front of. Shawn didn't blame them, and neither did Jack or Sam, although some of the townsfolk felt foolish for screaming when they realized that one of the newcomers was a mere child.  
  
Thor looked at the assembled crowd silently, giving them all a chance to get over their initial fright.  
  
"This is Thor," Jack told them, gesturing to the small alien. "He's a member of the Asgard, and the one who asked us to come and help warn you."  
  
"Who's the boy?" A man asked. "Or is he a small alien?"  
  
Shawn grinned, looking over at Thor and wondering how anyone could mistake him for an Asgard. Jack and Sam smiled as well. Which made the assembled townsfolk grin also.  
  
"This is Shawn. He's, um..."  
  
"Your son?"  
  
"No, but he's the next best thing to it." Jack gestured for Shawn to come stand next to him, mainly because he wanted to make sure the boy was someplace close by on the off chance something happened. "He's a very good friend of mine and Sam's."  
  
Ironically, it was the boy that Jack had least wanted to bring that ended up swaying most of the townsfolk. None of them would have thought to bring their children on a mission of ill-intent, and they couldn't imagine anyone else doing something like that, either. The very fact that Jack and Sam had brought such an innocent made them believe that maybe the Asgard were, in fact, a peaceful race and not out looking for cows to steal. Or worse.  
  
"You really believe the seas will continue to rise?" Rickart asked Thor, finally.  
  
"Indeed. They will continue to rise until the water has completely covered the land. Nothing can live here once that happens."  
  
"How long do we have until that happens?"  
  
"No more than a couple of your weeks. You have time to gather your belongings, but you should not take too long."  
  
"Can we bring our livestock?" Someone called.  
  
Thor looked at Jack.  
  
"Their cows and chickens and horses."  
  
"Of course. Without them you will have great difficulty beginning your new lives in your new homes."  
  
"We need to send runners to the other towns and holdings," Shelan said, gesturing for several men to come forward. These were the men that owned the fastest horses and were frequently used as messengers. "They might not want to go."  
  
"Convince them," Jack said, looking at his watch, which was set to Colorado time. It was far into the evening there, which explained why he felt so tired. He looked down at Shawn, who didn't seem tired at all. "You have the time to, just tell them what we've told you."  
  
"They'll want to see you. To talk to you."  
  
"If they can be here by tomorrow, we'll talk to them." Jack figured they had that long to spare. Beyond that, though, he needed to get Shawn home. "We can't stay too long."  
  
They all nodded, and Shelan pulled the men she'd beckoned to her aside, and spoke rapidly to them, obviously repeating what Jack had told them, and making sure they knew what she wanted them to tell the others. A poorly worded message would be met with resistance, which was something they didn't have time for.  
  
"We'll convince them, Jack," Rickart said, smiling for the first time. He turned to the others. "Go home and begin gathering what you will be taking. We don't want to be rushed, but we will want to be ready to help our distant neighbors when they need us."  
  
It was a good sign to Jack. The fact that they were already making plans to leave showed they were serious about going. The fact that they were already making plans to help anyone who needed it showed him they really were a people worth saving. Good all around.  
  
"We'd better get up to the ship," Jack said, looking down at Shawn and then at Sam. "It's pretty late, and I'm starving."  
  
Sam nodded her agreement, and Jack motioned to Rickart and the other Council members to come and join him and the Asgard.  
  
"We're going to head up to the ship for a while, but we'll be back down at your sunrise." Which would give the people about 18 hours to get their neighbors and anyone else who wanted to talk to Jack assembled. "That should give you time to come up with any questions you might have and give your friends a chance to get here, yes?"  
  
"We'll be ready when you return."  
  
"Thor?"  
  
"We'll be back," Jack said to the watching people. Shawn waved at them, unable to contain his enthusiasm. A few waved back, even as the four of them vanished. 


	17. 17

"Well that went pretty well," Jack said as soon as they'd rematerialized on the bridge of Thor's ship.  
  
"Indeed, O'Neill," Thor said going over to talk to the Asgard that had remained on the ship. "The Pe'aoli will begin packing their belongings and have sent messengers to the outlaying towns and farms to warn the rest of their people."  
  
"That is good news, Commander Thor. I will inform the others."  
  
"We're going to go get something to eat," Jack told Thor. "Care to join us?"  
  
"No, thank you. I will need to report to the other Commanders. Especially the freighter Commanders who will be responsible for actually moving the Pe'aoli. They will need to know what kind of 'livestock' to expect."  
  
"Carter?"  
  
"Oh, yeah. I could eat one of their cows."  
  
Jack smiled, and led the three of them off the bridge and down the corridor to the storage bay that all their supplies had been sent to.  
  
"What did you and Thor do while we were down on the planet?" Sam asked Shawn as she searched through the various supply crates.  
  
"I pestered him with questions." Shawn said, grinning. "I think he would have preferred sending me down with you." No lie there, Shawn was certain.  
  
"Better for you to stay where you're safe," Jack said, taking an MRE from Carter and opening it up to see what it was.  
  
"Spaghetti, Shawn?"  
  
"Sounds great, Jack."  
  
The boy looked around the room, and walked over to the wall and pressed a small, almost obscure button. A shelf came out from the wall. A sturdy one that was perfect for stacking things off the ground, but was also perfectly positioned for sitting on while they ate.  
  
"How did you know that was there?" Sam asked.  
  
"He's probably snooped all over this place, haven't you?" Jack said with a grin. Shawn grinned as well, although it was a slightly guilty grin. He'd noticed the markings that had told him the shelf was there, but he wasn't going to tell them that! He sat down on the shelf and dug out the spoon that came with the MRE and opened the package. It was cold, but Shawn didn't mind. He was hungry enough to make anything taste good.  
  
"What did you ask Thor?" Sam asked as she came over to sit next to the boy, double-checking first to make sure the shelf he was sitting on was sturdy enough to hold her weight as well. It was pretty solid, though, and she gestured for Jack to come join them. Which he did as soon as he scrounged up another spaghetti meal.  
  
"I asked him about the Goa'uld." Shawn said honestly. Sam's eyebrows rose, and Jack scowled.  
  
"I thought I told you we couldn't tell-"  
  
"You said you and Sam couldn't." Shawn said. "You didn't say anything about Thor."  
  
"That's a thin line, Shawn," Jack said. He should have known it was going to happen, though. He knew Shawn was a curious kid – what kid wasn't? And what kid wouldn't ask whatever was on his mind?  
  
"What did Thor tell you?" Sam asked.  
  
"That they're evil. They get inside people and use them and make them do what they say. And they having glowing eyes."  
  
"You understand that you can't tell anyone about them?" Jack asked.  
  
"Yeah. I wouldn't want anyone to know about them, anyways." Shawn shuddered. "But they aren't all bad. Thor told me about the Tok'ra."  
  
"What did he say about them?" Sam asked, intently. Jack could understand why, since her own father was one.  
  
"That they were good. Not like the Goa'uld at all."  
  
"They're not evil," Jack said. "He's right. I happen to like some of them very much."  
  
Sam couldn't help but smile at that, since she knew Jacob Carter was one of the few Tok'ra Jack could put up with for any long period of time.  
  
"That's what Thor said." Shawn was quiet for a while, eating his dinner, hungrily, and Jack and Sam both started eating as well.  
  
"Thor's a boy, right Jack?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"Uh oh..." Sam murmured, having an instant feeling where this particular question was going.  
  
"Where-"  
  
"Shawn, how about I get you another meal?" Sam asked, standing up quickly. She excused herself, and walked over to the other side of the room, just as Shawn finished asking his question to judge by the sudden fit of coughing and laughing that Jack was having.  
  
"I don't know, Shawn," Jack said when he could finally catch his breath and Carter had felt it safe to return. "Please tell me you didn't ask him that."  
  
"I started to, but I was sidetracked."  
  
Jack laughed and finished his dinner.  
  
"Good thing. Thor probably would have made you walk home for asking that one."  
  
Sam handed Shawn another MRE, which the boy opened immediately and began devouring, and Jack looked around for a place to settle down.  
  
"I'm going to get some sleep. You guys need me, just wake me up."  
  
He pulled out a sleeping bag from their supplies, wondering why they never thought of bringing pillows, and went over to the corner, dragging the bag that held his extra clothing. Using that as a pillow he bedded down and fell asleep almost immediately. 


	18. 18

Author's Note: Hehe, thanks for the reviews, guys. Just a couple of responses from them. A) I don't have a clue where Thor's... um... well... I don't KNOW where it is, so I don't want to presume to answer that particular question! And B) Jack IS a bit more mellow in this story... 3 reasons. 1) he has Shawn with him.. 2)He's trying to figure out what to do with Shawn and the influx in info Shawn has all of the sudden, and 3) Jack doesn't have a gun on him during this story, which makes him a little less aggressive. (Carrying a gun can definitely do things to your psyche, hehe) besides, he has to be mellow with the people in town, because he's trying convince them he's a good guy) anyways... on with the story!  
  
~*~  
  
When O'Neill woke up, Shawn was curled in a ball next to him, his head on Jack's belly and his knees drawn up to his chest. Jack lay still, watching the boy sleep for a long moment. Shawn didn't look like he was sleeping peacefully. His face – and the rest of his body – seemed tense, and there was a light wrinkle on the boy's brow. Similar to the one Daniel got when he was trying to solve a puzzle. Not that O'Neill could blame the boy if he was having trouble with all this. There were a lot of new things going on around him that would be hard for anyone to take. Jack thought the little boy was handling it far better than he, himself, might have. Of course, maybe it was just because he was young and more flexible.  
  
He turned his head, automatically searching for Carter. She was sleeping as well. She'd cleared the shelf that Shawn had found in the wall, and had spread her sleeping bag there, using the cloth to lie on instead of cover up with, much as Jack had done. It wasn't cold on the Asgard ship, just hard. He looked at his watch, and saw that they still had plenty of time before they had to go back down to the planet surface, and decided that he could sleep a little longer. Not that he was all that tired, but the other options – going to the bridge and chatting with Thor, who was fascinating but not all that much of a gossip, or staring at the walls – just didn't appeal to him.  
  
He reached down and ran gentle fingers through Shawn's brown hair, again wondering how he'd managed to get into this kind of situation when all he'd had planned for the weekend was hanging out, and maybe a bar-b-que. Shawn shifted a little in his sleep in response to the touch, mumbling something Jack couldn't understand, and the Colonel allowed his hand to drop rather than wake him. He sighed, and closed his eyes, allowing himself to once more drift off.  
  
Shawn wasn't sleeping peacefully. True, his body was exhausted from a busy day. Yes, he'd been up very early that morning, so excited by the fact that he was going to spend the weekend at Jack's that he'd been up and packed for a good hour before his parents had woken. Then they'd taken him to the park and ran him around like mad, hoping to expend some of his excited energy before taking him to O'Neill, not wanting to drop off a hyper kid onto the unsuspecting Colonel.  
  
He was tired. Yes. But his mind was a flurry of activity. As he slept, the Asgard technology was still working inside his brain. True, he knew words written in the Asgard language. But with the knowledge of the word comes the understanding of the definition, and with that comes the understanding of how things work. His mind was steadily processing the words he'd learned instantly, changing itself as it sorted through the definitions and meanings of words and letters and symbols. Not only the Asgard words, but the Goa'uld words as well. Definitions that were far beyond the boy in English were plain as day in Asgard and Goa'uld. As well as the knowledge of technology. And the Stargate.  
  
The Goa'uld had a different word for the Stargate than the Asgard did. Shawn knew both words, now, and with the words came the understanding of what it was, and how it worked. No, he couldn't build himself his own Stargate, but he did understand what it did. Just like he understood what a table was, and what it was used for. It was something that Thor might not have considered when he'd implanted the languages in the boy's head. The fact that the boy had, with one simple action, taken a huge leap towards understanding those the SGC understood the least. But first, his mind had to sort things out and make it usable for the boy, which it was doing while he slept. Another reason that the technology didn't work with adults, since they were far less adaptable to change than children were. Something Jack would have questioned – even subconsciously – Shawn accepted as fact, just because he didn't know any better.  
  
So as he slept, he learned, and his mind changed to accommodate that learning.  
  
~*~  
  
On the planet the Pe'aoli were wasting little time. The runners on horses had reached the first of their destinations and were spreading the word. Aliens had come to their planet and were foretelling of a doomed world. Those that lived closest to the water believed immediately, and rushed to town, even as they left others to begin packing. Those that lived further from the water and more inland rushed to the city, knowing that if someone on the Council had sent runners then it must be serious enough to at least listen to. And still the word was spreading to those that lived further away.  
  
~*~  
  
Up on the Asgard ships, the Commanders conferred. Discussing a number of things, including the best way to get the Pe'aoli moved to their new world, and figuring the best way to accomplish that move with the added livestock. Moving things up to their ships would be no problem. Keeping them comfortable for the short trip to the new world would be a simple matter of spreading straw in the massive holds of the ships. The journey would only take a few hours. It would not be arduous. Cleaning the ships out would be a simple matter of sending everything down to their new world with them. With that out of the way, they discussed other matters, such as the young boy that Colonel O'Neill had brought with him. 


	19. 19

When Jack woke next, he was alone in the room. He sat up, rubbing his chin, and looked around. Sam and Shawn were both gone, and the remains of what had been their breakfast was sitting on the shelf Sam had been sleeping on. He looked at his watch. They still had a few hours before going back down to the planet, so Jack went looking for the others to see what they were doing.  
  
Shawn was back on the simulator, this time with an audience. Carter smiled when Jack walked into the room, and gestured at the boy, who was once again playing with the fighters in some kind of dogfight. Jack, who was a fair pilot himself, could see that the boy had really made some improvements in his skill. Even more amazing, the boy wasn't using the English instructions anymore. Probably, he'd figured out what everything did and didn't need the translations, Jack decided. Things like that were fairly universal, after all.  
  
"He's pretty good, Sir," Sam said as Jack walked over and joined her.  
  
"Well, we'll try to keep him out of fighters until he at least gets out of elementary school, okay, Carter?"  
  
She smiled.  
  
"Did you eat?"  
  
"Nah, but I will. I just wanted to see where you guys were."  
  
"We got up, and Shawn asked Thor if he could use the simulator again. If the question Shawn asked you was any indication of the questions he's been asking Thor, I can understand completely why he was so eager to tell him yes and escape without anymore."  
  
"I can, too."  
  
Shawn whooped, then, and Jack looked over just in time to see the boy's enemy blowing up in an impressive fireball.  
  
"Good one, Shawn."  
  
"Thanks, Jack!" He pressed a couple buttons on the control panel of the chair, and the simulator froze. "Did you want to play?"  
  
Jack shook his head. "I'm going to go shave and change. You kill a few for me, okay?"  
  
"You got it." Shawn turned the simulator back on, and Sam walked out the door with Jack.  
  
"Thor told me that the Asgard are bringing in another freighter to help move the Pe'aoli."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"They're worried about the water levels. The planet's orbit is destabilizing at an increasing rate, so they want to be able to move everyone and everything all at once. If things get too bad."  
  
"Makes sense."  
  
To be completely honest, Jack really didn't care about the logistics of the move. He was glad the Pe'aoli were smart enough to move, of course, and glad that the Asgard were there to help them, but he wasn't much interested in the logistics of the move. And luckily for him and the Pe'aoli, he didn't have to be.  
  
~*~  
  
Shawn watched as Jack and Sam left the room, then turned his attention back to the simulator, which was getting more and more challenging for him. The thing really was nothing more than a video game for the boy, and Shawn was a master at video games. The fact that the instructions were in Asgard, now, only made it easier, since with the Asgard language he didn't have to worry about instructions coming on that he didn't understand. With the English version, he was doing a lot of trial and error if he didn't understand a word or a phrase. Getting shot down, or crashing, until he understood what was expected of him. With the Asgard version, he'd found that he understood everything, and it was far easier to win the game when you knew immediately what you were supposed to be doing and how to do it.  
  
He switched from the fighter over to a new version of Destroyer, and watched as the specs of the craft were displayed on the heads-up. The simulator made learning to fly the things fairly easy, and the controls weren't all that tricky. He'd seen far worse playing some playstation games, and even the helicopter that Jack and Sam had taken him on that one time was more complicated. None of the Asgard ships used foot controls at all! He watched, learned, and then began to play once more, this time fighting Goa'uld mother ships, which seemed to be the enemy of choice for the Asgard.  
  
He was so caught up in the game that he didn't even hear the alarms going off all over the ship.  
  
~*~  
  
Jack had just finished his breakfast when the alarms went off. For a brief moment he thought maybe it was coming from Shawn's simulator. That the boy had found the volume control and turned it up too loud. But that didn't last more than a second. Lights were flashing, even in the storage room they were in, and that wasn't a simulation.  
  
He and Carter headed for the door.  
  
"Get Shawn!" Jack ordered Sam as they headed for the bridge. He didn't know what was going on, but he wanted the boy where he could watch him. She nodded, and veered off, heading for the right room, while Jack made his way to the bridge.  
  
"Thor? What's going on?"  
  
The small alien was sitting in his Command chair, and was looking at the forward view screen. Jack looked as well, and saw more ships then there had been when he was last on the bridge.  
  
"A moment ago, four Goa'uld scout ships dropped out of hyperspace and set off our proximity alerts." Thor answered, calmly. "We are hailing them now."  
  
Thor wasn't, but the Commander of the other Destroyer was. The audio was on, so Jack caught the last of the challenge the Asgard Commander gave the leader of the Goa'uld flight just as the bridge doors swooshed open and Sam and Shawn walked in. The two instantly looked at the screen, but neither said a word as they walked over to stand next to O'Neill. 


	20. 20

Author's Note: Hehe, as much as I'd love to let Shawn behind the controls of a fighter – or even better – a destroyer – I can't imagine Jack would go for putting his charge in anywhere near that much danger. Sorry guys!  
  
~*~  
  
Because of the nature of the program that Thor had told Shawn about, all the Humans on the bridge understood what was being said, even though the arrogant voice coming from one of the scout ships was certainly not speaking English originally.  
  
"Who are you? What do the Asgard want in this area of space?"  
  
The voice that replied was as calm as the other was arrogant, and it wasn't Thor. The other Destroyer Commander was taking the lead.  
  
"What we want here is of no concern to the Goa'uld. You are grossly outnumbered. If you stay, you will definitely die."  
  
Shawn looked up at Jack, who was watching the view screen. There was no fear on Jack's face, only tenseness. Shawn was equally unafraid, mainly because he was well aware what the ship he was on was capable of, even if he'd only seen it in the simulator.  
  
"You dare threaten us?"  
  
"Indeed. Leave now."  
  
It would have been suicide for the scout ships to try anything against two fully prepared Destroyers. For that matter, the Asgard freighters had plenty of firepower of their own and would have easily been able to handle anything any of the Goa'uld threw at them. The pilots of these vessels knew it, and so did the Goa'uld. They broke off, and vanished in a flash of light as their hyper drives kicked in.  
  
"We have to get those people off that planet." Jack said. 'Now."  
  
"Agreed. The Goa'uld will most likely return with more ships."  
  
"Why would they want to?" Shawn asked. "There's nothing-"  
  
"They have to assume that if the Asgard are interested in a planet, there's something down there they'll be interested in, too." Carter told the boy. "Some technology that the Asgard are keeping from the Goa'uld."  
  
"So, get the people off the planet, then stash something down there that's useless but looks interesting. Then they'll think they have some great new weapon or technology, and will spend forever trying to figure it out."  
  
Jack looked at Shawn, who looked up at him.  
  
"How did you think of that?"  
  
Shawn shrugged. "I think I read it in a comic book or something."  
  
"It'd keep them off your backs while you were transplanting the Pe'aoli," Jack said. "Besides, it might be fun to let them think they had gained access to something exciting only to find out it was a dud."  
  
"We will consider it, O'Neill." Thor said. "For now, however, our focus must be the Pe'aoli. We will need to hurry them up."  
  
"You don't need to tell them it's the Goa'uld, though," Sam said. "Just tell them they have less time than you originally thought they did before the water rises. It's true."  
  
"Correct, Major Carter." Thor said, shifting the view screen as he called to the other ships in the small Asgard fleet to offer his opinions, and that of the Humans. The other Commanders' images came up on the hologram in front of the chair, and while they were all talking, Shawn once again compared these other Asgard to Thor, trying to see what was different. He wasn't going to be doing anything to help the Pe'aoli, after all.  
  
Thor told the others Carter's plan to tell the people on the planet below that their time was running shorter than they had originally calculated. The others agreed it was a far better plan than telling them of the Goa'uld. But they also agreed that the scout ships would almost certainly bring back reinforcements, and that they had to be prepared for just such an event.  
  
"The weapons systems will handle anything the Goa'uld have to throw at you," Shawn said absently as he continued his comparing.  
  
The Asgard looked at the boy in surprise, as did Sam and Jack. Shawn looked at them, realizing from the silence that he'd said something that got their attention, and he went back over what he'd just said. He couldn't see anything wrong with it, though.  
  
"What?"  
  
"How do you know what we can handle?" The other Destroyer Commander asked.  
  
Shawn shrugged. "The simulator." Which was mostly true. He, himself, had shot down and killed a number of Goa'uld scout ships. They were fast, but there wasn't anything special about them. Shawn would have much rather flown one of Jack's F-15s.  
  
The other Commander looked at Thor, who didn't back down. "He is correct. There is nothing they can bring that we cannot defend against."  
  
"Once we get the people up onto the ships," Sam said.  
  
"Correct. Sitting on the planet, they are in the most danger if the Goa'uld bring reinforcements."  
  
"So, beam us down and we'll get them to start beaming up." Jack said. "You guys are ready?" He asked the Freighter Commanders.  
  
"We are prepared to start bringing the people from the surface, yes."  
  
"I'll let you know when they're ready." Jack said, now more than ever wishing he had a weapon. Just in case. "Sam."  
  
Carter moved over to stand next to Jack, who looked at Shawn.  
  
"You be good."  
  
Shawn nodded, just as Thor transported Jack and Carter down to the surface.  
  
It was amazing what you could get used to, the boy thought to himself as he watched what he now knew was called a Molecular Transmitter in action. He looked at Thor, who was still conferring with the other Asgard. They would all stay in close contact until they heard from O'Neill and had permission to start transferring people. Shawn sighed. There wasn't anything he could do to help.  
  
~*~  
  
The Pe'aoli weren't sleeping. Just because it was dark, they hadn't retired for the night. Many had already started packing. Others were in the main meeting hall area, still discussing Jack and the Asgard with people who were arriving from the outlaying farms at a steady rate. Jack and Sam beamed right down into the middle of these folks, who almost without exception gave a yelp in shock, or worse, when they materialized.  
  
"Sorry about that," Jack said.  
  
"We weren't expecting you until sunrise," Shelan said, stepping forward. The older woman looked a little tired, but she'd been one of the ones who'd started people packing. Like a little general, she'd been throwing out orders and suggestions, and helping people decide what was the most important and what could be left behind. She'd already told more than one family that they couldn't bring the house. Just the stuff in it.  
  
"Yeah, well, there's been a few problems..." Jack said.  
  
"The water is rising faster than we thought," Carter said, taking over before Jack could get them all in a panic. "Not so fast that we still don't have time to get everyone out, but fast enough that we need to start moving you immediately, if we can."  
  
"Some are already packed," Shelan said, pointing at a few people who had been talking to their neighbors, obviously making plans to help them when daylight came. The people who live in town have all been warned, and I'm sure they're mostly ready. We're just waiting on the folks that don't live so close."  
  
"So we could start moving some of them immediately?" Jack asked.  
  
"Who's all packed up and ready to go?" Shelan called.  
  
Many people raised their hands. Far more than Jack or Carter would have expected. He nodded. This was good. 


	21. 21

"We have begun shifting the Pe'aoli to the ships," the Asgard commander of one of the freighters told Thor.  
  
"That was quick," Shawn said.  
  
The Asgard turned his attention to the boy. "Indeed."  
  
It had only been about an hour since Jack and Sam had left the ship, but to Shawn it felt like much longer. He didn't like having them down on the planet and away from the safety of the Destroyers, although he understood they had to be there. It had been all he could do to keep himself from nagging Thor to send him down so he could be with them. He'd known the answer would definitely be no, so he hadn't even asked. Jack would have sent him right back up the minute he materialized.  
  
Worry made the boy antsy. He paced. He kept asking Thor how long it had been. He drummed his fingers on the arm of Thor's Command chair. He made a clicking noise with his tongue against his front teeth. All in all, he was annoying the hell out of Thor without intending to. Something he did fairly well, anyways.  
  
"Perhaps you would like to return to the Simulator?" Thor asked, almost hopefully.  
  
Shawn shook his head. "I'd better stick close. You know, in case they need me."  
  
"Are you, perhaps, hungry?"  
  
"No, I already ate. Thanks."  
  
"Tired?"  
  
Shawn shook his head, drumming his fingers on the chair once more, absently.  
  
Thor sighed.  
  
~*~  
  
"How many people do you have up on the ships now?"  
  
"1,709."  
  
"That's all?"  
  
"It has only been two hours, Shawn." Thor said. "The Pe'aoli are doing very well to have that many already on board. Especially since we told them they would have much longer."  
  
Shawn sighed.  
  
"Are you hungry, yet?" Thor asked.  
  
"No. Thank you."  
  
"Do you need rest?"  
  
Shawn shook his head, but he was beginning to wonder if he was annoying Thor. "Would you like me to leave you alone for a while?" Shawn asked politely.  
  
"You are free to roam the ship," Thor told him, glad the boy was interested in doing something other than standing there and making annoying noises. "Please do not do anything reckless."  
  
"Stay out of trouble, you mean?" Shawn asked.  
  
"Indeed." The elevators that led to the other levels of the ship were all locked down to prevent any unauthorized access to the bridge, so the Asgard didn't need to tell him to stay away from the other levels of the ship, and there was very little the boy could get into on the bridge level.  
  
"Okay. You'll call me if Jack or Sam calls?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Swear?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Promise?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Shawn left the bridge, and Thor gave a relieved sigh as the door closed behind him. He'd never, as long as he lived, ever, bring another child with him anywhere he went. Not even if the High Council forced him to. Not even if it was just a trip from one end of a solar system to the other.  
  
~*~  
  
"How many is that, Carter?" Jack asked as another family and a stack of belongings vanished with a beam of light.  
  
"I've lost count, Sir." Sam admitted.  
  
Jack scowled, but decided it didn't matter. They'd just grab people until there wasn't anyone left to grab. He looked at the sun, which was just coming up over the horizon, and did some mental calculations. They'd been on the planet for about three hours, and had cleared out entire sections of the city. Other sections were packing as quickly as they could, and farmers had rushed to their steadings to get things ready there.  
  
"Sorry." Sam said.  
  
"Nah, it doesn't matter." Jack told her. "I lost track a long time ago."  
  
~*~  
  
Shawn walked through the main corridor from the bridge. Now that he knew what the markings said, he knew as he passed each door what the room's purpose was. He walked to the fifth room, the one where he and Jack had eaten their ice cream, and entered it. The shoehorn things that they had used to eat with were ship components, Shawn knew now, grinning as he picked on up. Thor wouldn't have liked that they'd used them to eat with, but Shawn supposed that what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him. He put it back in the drawer they'd gotten them from, and then started looking through the drawers again, this time with more interest, since he knew what everything was, and what it did.  
  
He had just closed one when the markings on another one caught his eye. It had been one of the drawers Jack had looked through their first time around. Stargate components. Shawn opened it up, just to see what kind of replacement parts were in there, but it wasn't anything too interesting. It did remind him of something else, though. Thor's ship had a Stargate. Because of his new knowledge, Shawn knew exactly what a Stargate looked like, but he'd never seen one first hand. He closed the drawer without taking anything out of it, and went to the door. He really wanted to see this thing.  
  
Because of the Simulator, Shawn knew exactly where to look. The Asgard ships were all the same, after all. They had no need to make things different, because the originals worked so well there was no sense in messing with a model that was so efficient. The bridge and the Stargate were the two most important areas of a Destroyer – if you didn't count the shuttle bays. And since there wasn't anyone else on the ship, the shuttles weren't going to be used, so they certainly didn't count. Grinning excitedly, Shawn ran down the hall, his tennis shoes making no noise as he made his way unerringly away from the bridge and towards proper room. 


	22. 22

Author's Note: Anakin who? (Just kidding! No, Shawn will not be flying the ships) Jack himself would come out of my computer and beat me to death for doing that, and then round on all of you who suggested it!  
  
~*~  
  
Shawn stared. It was exactly like he'd known it would look. Round, covered with symbols and almost daunting. It wasn't really all that big, and it didn't light up, it wasn't glowing, and there weren't any laser guns or weapons of any sort anywhere on the thing, but he knew what it did, and it was awesome. He walked all around it, recognizing the symbols for what they were, and knowing that if he put them in the proper sequence on the dialing device he'd open a gateway to someplace else. Someplace that could be close by, or that could be millions of miles away.  
  
"Wow."  
  
He reached out and touched the cool metal, but knew his touch wouldn't do anything to it. He could dance naked in the middle of it and nothing would happen unless he dialed an address. And Shawn didn't know any addresses. Not that he would have attempted it, anyways. That would definitely have been on Thor's list of 'reckless' items. Not to mention Jack had told him to be good.  
  
He traced one of the symbols with his fingers, and wondered what it would look like if the Gate were activated. His memories didn't tell him that. His mind didn't have a picture of the event horizon. Only that it would show up, and that it was a way to other worlds. It was amazing to the boy. Entranced, he sat down on the floor in front of it, looking up at it, completely lost in thought.  
  
"You should not be in here."  
  
Shawn almost jumped out of his skin at the sound of the gentle voice coming from behind him. He scrambled to his feet, hurriedly, grateful that it was Thor that was entering the room and not Jack. Jack would have killed him. Or at least been really, really mad at him. Which would have been much worse. He realized as he stood that he was stiff from sitting, and vaguely wondered how long he'd been there, lost in thought.  
  
"I didn't do anything," Shawn said, quickly.  
  
"I did not say you did," Thor replied. "However, you must be aware of the dangers inherent with such a device as the Stargate."  
  
"I know. I didn't plan on using it."  
  
"Why not?" Thor asked. "Because you did not know an address? Or because you were concerned that O'Neill would not approve?"  
  
Shawn didn't like being on the receiving end of questions like these.  
  
"Both. I-I wouldn't know where to go even if I knew how to get there." He said. 'And Jack doesn't even know I know about the Stargate, so he'd be furious if I did. Besides, I wouldn't leave him and Sam."  
  
"You are fond of O'Neill, are you not?"  
  
"Yes. Him and Sam." Shawn didn't know why the Asgard even had to ask.  
  
"He would not want you to put yourself in danger." Thor told the boy. "This device is as dangerous as they come, especially if someone did not know what they were doing. It requires more than the address to a destination to be able to use it wisely. You could do much damage with it. And to do so would put yourself into far more danger than you know."  
  
"I wouldn't do anything to make Jack angry." Shawn had once done just that, and had had the full force of Jack's anger lashed at him. It had been the worse moments of his life. Then and now.  
  
"Good." Thor's gaze was unblinking, but Shawn thought he detected triumph in those dark eyes. Or maybe it was the set of the Asgard's shoulders. "Come. O'Neill has called to check in, and I told you that I would inform you."  
  
"You won't tell him, will you?"  
  
"Tell him what?"  
  
"That I was here." Shawn said, gesturing at the Stargate. "That I was looking at it."  
  
"I will not."  
  
"How many people do they have on the ships, now?" Shawn asked, as they walked down the corridor towards the bridge.  
  
"About a quarter of their population." Thor said. "Most of the city has been cleared, and the farms are next. We will be putting the animals and their owners onto the Freighter that is coming inbound into the system now. That way all the creatures can be kept together to make it easier on the Pe'aoli when it comes time to separate them."  
  
"That makes sense."  
  
They entered the bridge, and Thor went to his chair and thumbed the communication device.  
  
"Colonel O'Neill?"  
  
"Yeah, Thor. Did you find him?" Jack's voice was slightly tinny, but it made Shawn grin to know that O'Neill was thinking about him even when he was doing something else.  
  
"Indeed."  
  
"Hi, Jack."  
  
"Hey, Shawn. How ya doing?"  
  
"I'm okay. How are you and Sam?"  
  
"Oh. Same shi – stuff, different day. I've told the same guy three times that he'll have to leave his kitchen sink, since he can't bring the rest of his kitchen. What have you been up to?"  
  
"Just looking around the ship." That wasn't a lie.  
  
"Staying out of trouble?"  
  
"Of course!"  
  
Jack snorted. "Make sure you eat some lunch, okay? And none of that crap Carter says Thor eats. We'll be there around supper time."  
  
Shawn didn't have a watch, so he looked at the chronometer on the bridge hull. It told him the time in Asgard numbers, but he didn't have a reference for when that time was set to. It obviously wasn't Mountain Time.  
  
"Okay, Jack."  
  
"O'Neill out."  
  
~*~  
  
"He's being good?"  
  
"Says he is. Thor didn't say otherwise."  
  
Carter shrugged. There wasn't much they could do about it if he were misbehaving. They certainly didn't want to bring him down to the surface. If the Goa'uld returned...  
  
"He's probably bored, Sir. Too bad we couldn't give him a project to work on. Something to keep him occupied."  
  
"You're the genius, Carter," Jack told her. "Think of something." 


	23. 23

She did think of something, eventually. Something that might not have been all that brilliant but it was all she could think of that would give him a sense of purpose. And it was something that would make him feel like he wasn't being ignored. Carter borrowed the communicator from O'Neill while he was hashing out some detail with a farmer whether the Asgard would be able to take all his chicken coops, or just his chickens. (Jack decided it would be better for the Asgard and the Pe'aoli if they didn't have a bunch of chickens on the loose on the ships, so the coops were something that would go up as well.)  
  
Sam spoke with Shawn for a good five minutes, explaining to him what she wanted him to do, but giving him all the leeway in deciding HOW he wanted to do it. She couldn't see his face, but she could hear the sudden enthusiasm in his voice at the notion, and Sam knew that she'd come up with something that was good enough to keep him out of trouble on board the ship for a while. She reminded him that he HAD to eat lunch before he could start his project, and then signed off.  
  
~*~  
  
"Um, Thor?"  
  
The Asgard turned his head from the hologram of the people that were being settled on the freighters and looked at the boy.  
  
"Can I borrow some stuff? Well... actually, HAVE might be a better word, since I won't be able to give it back."  
  
"What sort of 'stuff' did you have in mind?"  
  
"Nothing important," Shawn said quickly. "Just some odds and ends. I won't know what I want until I actually look to see what all you have."  
  
"As long as it is nothing that will pose a danger to yourself or others, and as long as it is nothing more advanced than the Tau'ri already possess then you may have whatever you wish."  
  
"No, it won't be anything we want," Shawn promised. He grinned, then, and walked off the bridge, leaving the Asgard to return to his watching.  
  
~*~  
  
He ate lunch, although he supposed that a candy bar out of an MRE wasn't really a meal. Sam didn't have to know, though. Then he got to work. The first thing he did was go through all the shelves and drawers in all the rooms on the bridge level. This didn't take as long as it might have. It certainly would have taken longer if they weren't labeled. As it was, he could see a label and know what was going to be inside without opening the drawer, or pulling down the shelf. If it was something he thought he might want, he took it, if not, he didn't bother.  
  
He assembled quite a pile of odd looking knick-knacks on the floor of the simulator room, then got to work, using medical tape that he'd found in the first aid kit they'd brought with them, and an Asgard version of super glue. There were all sorts of soldering kits on the ship, but just because Shawn knew what they were, didn't mean he automatically knew how to use them. And he didn't want to bother Thor.  
  
~*~  
  
"Whatcha doing?"  
  
Shawn jumped at the voice behind him, and then jumped to his feet.  
  
"Jack!"  
  
"Hey, buddy," Jack gave him a quick hug, and looked at the object on the ground by the simulator chair. "What's that?"  
  
"Bet I know," Sam said, smiling as she walked into the room to stand beside Shawn. The boy nodded.  
  
"Did you get everyone off the planet?"  
  
"Not yet, but they're getting closer. The Council have told us to just start beaming farmers up into the holds, and that one of them would be there to meet them and explain things to them. That way we didn't have to go to every little town and farm."  
  
"They said they could do a better job of explaining, now that they understood better themselves," Jack added. It was obvious, even to Shawn, that Jack was glad to be off the planet. Fresh air was nice, but he wasn't all that great when it came to dealing with people. Or maybe he just wasn't patient enough. Either way.  
  
"How much longer will it be?"  
  
"At least a few hours. We'll be heading back as soon as the Pe'aoli are all on the ship and they're underway."  
  
He nodded, and Jack looked at the object on the floor again.  
  
"So? You going to tell me what that is? Or do I have to guess?"  
  
"Try guessing," Shawn said, grinning.  
  
Jack looked at it thoughtfully, walking around it and staring at it from all angles. It was an ugly piece of whatever it was. There were all sorts of things sticking out of something that looked a little like a mixing bowl with no bottom. There was a blue light that blinked incessantly and was almost entrancing. Jack thought he recognized one of the shoehorn things they'd eaten ice cream with, and he was almost positive that white stuff that had the writing on it was medical tape. That was about all he could be sure of.  
  
"No clue, Shawn." He finally gave up. "What does it do?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
Jack raised his eyebrows. "Nothing?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
"What does it say?"  
  
"'This is not a secret weapon. Ignore it.'"  
  
"Is that Goa'uld?" Sam asked."  
  
"Yup." The boy grinned.  
  
"What's it do?" Jack asked again, prodding it with his foot as if he expected one of the attached pieces to come flying off and attack him.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"What's it for, then?"  
  
"I made it for the Goa'uld."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"To keep them occupied." Shawn grinned again, and Sam smiled as she watched Jack staring at it. If it worked with O'Neill, it would certainly work with whatever poor soul found it and ended up taking it to his master.  
  
"That's never going to work," Jack said; kneeling down and staring at the thing, still mesmerized by the blinking light and the very oddness of the contraption. He was still staring at it when Sam nudged Shawn, and gestured for the two of them to leave the room and go get something to eat. 


	24. 24

Author's Note: I need help. You guys that are interested need to read my bio and you'll see the help I need in my latest update there. (I flew past the Goa'uld language thing on purpose, but I'll be coming back to it in this chapter... Sam's too bright to let that slide so easily!) This Chapter is a little short, too, sorry about that (not that any of mine are all that long)  
  
~*~  
  
"So, how did you write the message on your contraption?"  
  
They were sitting on the shelf that Sam had slept on earlier, eating lunch (Chicken casserole MRE – warmed up with a cooking sterno).  
  
Shawn looked up from his meal and Sam wondered why the question left him looking so guilty.  
  
"Thor helped me," He said. That was true, mostly.  
  
Ah, that probably explained the guilty look. He probably bothered Thor until the little Asgard finally cracked and did what he wanted. Sam wondered – for the millionth time – what they were going to do about Shawn once they got back to Earth. He knew way too much to just set him loose. But he was far too young to keep.  
  
Carter knew that Shawn had every intention of doing what Jack was doing when he grew up. How many times had she heard him tell her or O'Neill just that? He was going to go into the Air Force, and become the youngest Colonel in the world, then go on to become the leader of Cheyenne Mountain. Of course, NOW he knew fairly well that Cheyenne Mountain wasn't the simple military base that he'd thought it was, and that was the crux of the problem.  
  
If he was older, they could simply invite him to join the Air Force and then, once he was in, order his silence. Of course, Shawn was nine – going on ten, as he kept reminding everyone – so that wasn't an option. The fact that he had a loving family who would definitely not appreciate the interference in their son's life just made it even worse. Short of wiping the boy's memory – which wasn't really an option, since she didn't know anyone who could do that – they'd have to go on his word that he'd be quiet about the aliens he'd seen.  
  
Sam was glad that Hammond knew about this already. He was most definitely thinking of something to do at this very minute. He probably told the President, who would also be thinking about what to do – although maybe not. Maybe the President would just tell Hammond to handle it however he saw fit. Who knew? It could have been worse, though, Sam decided. At least the boy didn't know about the Stargate! That would have been a real mess.  
  
"Have you been asking Thor more of those personal questions?" Sam asked.  
  
Shawn shook his head. "I've tried to leave him alone, except for asking him if I could have the stuff to make that thing. He's been pretty busy helping with the Pe'alio."  
  
"Pe'aoli," Sam corrected, smiling. "We'll be done, soon. Then we can go back home, and hopefully have a little time to spend with you doing normal stuff before Jack has to take you home."  
  
"Do you guys do this sort of thing very often?" Shawn asked her.  
  
"Only sometimes. Usually the Asgard don't need our help. They're fairly advanced people, obviously."  
  
Shawn nodded. Didn't he just know!  
  
"So they just call you when they need something?"  
  
"Pretty much."  
  
"Do you call them when you need something?"  
  
"Yeah, we would. Except that most of the time they can't help us. They don't want to interfere with us." Well, technically, they couldn't interfere, but it was close enough. "They want us to develop on our own, you know?"  
  
The boy nodded again, but before he could say anything, the door opened, and Jack walked in, obviously annoyed.  
  
"Come on, Shawn. If it doesn't do anything, why does it light up like that?" 


	25. 25

They were on the bridge after lunch when the Goa'uld returned. The proximity alarms on the ship warned them as soon as the ships emerged from hyperspace. The hologram changed from the Asgard Commander that Thor had been conferring with to show the incoming ships as they drew closer. There were two large vessels, much bigger than the scout ships, and far more of a threat to the people on the planet below.  
  
"Ha'tak."  
  
Shawn's eyes were glued on the pyramid shaped craft as they neared, even as Jack and Sam glanced over at him. Sam wondering how he'd managed to pronounce the word so perfectly, and Jack just wondering what all that Simulator had taught him. They looked back at the vessels, though, just in time to hear the Commander of the other Asgard Destroyer take the initiative once again, and challenge the newcomers.  
  
"You are interfering where you are not wanted."  
  
The voice coming from the Goa'uld was deep, and just as arrogant as the last one had been.  
  
"We go where we please. What interest do the Asgard have in this area?"  
  
"You need to get those people off the planet, Thor," Jack murmured.  
  
"The Freighter Commanders are doing it now, O'Neill."  
  
"Our interest is none of your concern. You should leave now."  
  
The pyramid-shaped craft that was closest to Thor's vessel opened fire, blasting at Thor's ship without warning. The shields held, however, and dampening stabilizers kept the people on the bridge safe from too much jostling at the impact with the shields.  
  
"We must keep them occupied before they-"  
  
"Disable their launching bays, Thor!" Shawn yelled, excitement overcoming what little fear he had. He was on a kick-ass ship, and he knew it. More importantly, somewhere in his little boy brain was the knowledge that he was with Jack and nothing could hurt him while he was with Jack. A misconception? Probably. But it was the way he felt.  
  
"Relax, Shawn," Jack said, reaching over and taking hold of the boy to keep him from doing something crazy. Obviously, the boy wasn't afraid – which was good – but he needed to stay out of the way, and not distract the Asgard. He pulled Shawn up against him, absently, and watched as Thor brought up a tactical screen similar to one Jack had seen Shawn using.  
  
"That was a warning." The Goa'uld said. "Surrender."  
  
Jack snorted, and at the same moment Shawn did, too. Both of them realizing that it hadn't been a warning; that the Goa'uld had sent them everything they had. Sam looked over, and couldn't help but smile, even though the situation was serious. Shawn was leaning back against O'Neill, the back of his head resting against Jack's solar plexus, and O'Neill had one arm firmly wrapped around Shawn's chest to keep him in place. They had such similar looks on their faces that at that moment Sam would have sworn they were related.  
  
Thor fired back in reply, and the Goa'uld ship was rocked by the blast just as the other Asgard Destroyer fired on the other Ha'tak. Both shots caused the shields to flare, and the readout on Thor's heads-up display showed that the shields on his target were shattered.  
  
The Goa'uld were either notoriously stubborn, or just plain stupid, because both ships fired again, this time rocking the Asgard Destroyers with a double volley of weapons fire, undoubtedly giving their last best effort.  
  
"The last of the natives have been removed from the planet." This was from a communications frequency that wasn't being used to talk to the Goa'uld. Thor nodded, half his attention on the battle, half on the report he was getting. He toggled the heads-up display and the hologram returned, showing the three Freighters disappearing into hyperspace, leaving the two Destroyers to face the two Ha'tak. Not a fair fight at all.  
  
"Break off," Thor told the other Asgard. He pressed a button on the arm of his chair, and they watched as the Destroyer disappeared, following the Freighters, leaving just them and the two Goa'uld ships.  
  
"Entering hyperspace," Thor said as he pressed a button. The view screen changed once more, and the stars faded as they entered abnormal space.  
  
"Well, that was fun," Jack said dryly, letting Shawn go.  
  
"It was important that we allowed them to think they frightened us off. That way they would not follow us, but would stop to explore the planet to see what we were working on."  
  
"Which is nothing." Sam said.  
  
"Indeed. All they will find is an abandoned world."  
  
"And my thing!" Shawn crowed. He'd seen Thor hit the button.  
  
"Yes."  
  
Thor looked at the boy, and Jack was certain he was going to get chewed out for interrupting a battle by telling the Asgard what to do, but the little gray alien just sighed, and turned back to his controls. Whatever he was going to say, he'd apparently changed his mind.  
  
"Your guys don't need any more help with the Pa'loeian?" Jack asked.  
  
"Pa'elino, Jack," Shawn corrected.  
  
"Pe'aoli" Sam said.  
  
Thor turned to them. "No. The other ship will remain with them, but it is highly unlikely the Goa'uld will be able to find them, even if they do go looking. The new world is in Asgard protected space, and the Goa'uld do not dare approach."  
  
"Good." 


	26. 26

Author's note: Over? Of course not! I'd never end a Campers! Story without an epilogue, and we're not even to that point yet  
  
~*~  
  
"My Lord! We found something!"  
  
The First Prime to Frenush turned at the call and stalked towards the Jaffa that were gathered on the planet surface. They'd been looking for hours, but had nothing to show for their time, and he was certain that if they didn't come back to the ship with something there was going to be serious punishments. The gods were very good at handing out punishment.  
  
"What is it?" He asked in his gravelly voice, pushing aside an underling that was blocking his view.  
  
"I... I'm not sure."  
  
The object was certainly odd. And obviously something that the Asgard had designed. Only they could come up with something so simplistic, and complicated.  
  
"There is no power reading, My Lord."  
  
"Then why is it blinking?"  
  
"I am not su-"  
  
"Is it a weapon?"  
  
"It says it is not."  
  
"Fool!" He leaned down and looked closely at the writing. "Why would the Asgard go out of their way to say it is not a weapon? Obviously, they could not take it with them, and hoped to convince us it is safe."  
  
"But... it is not all that large, My Lord. Why did they not take it into their ships with them when they left?"  
  
"Perhaps it is dangerous. Too dangerous to put on a ship?" Another surmised.  
  
The First Prime glared, and the Jaffa lowered his head in a submissive bow. But he could be right, and the First Prime had to take that into consideration. It would be folly to take a weapon to his Master that was a possible danger.  
  
"Keep looking!" The First Prime ordered the others as he and those that were standing nearest him stared at the device, trying to figure out what it did, and what purpose it served.  
  
~*~  
  
"O'Neill?"  
  
Thor had come looking for Jack, and had found him alone in the simulator room, where he was checking out the machine, wondering just how much it had taught the boy. Shawn was asleep in the cargo bay that held their supplies, wrapped in a sleeping bag and cuddled against Sam, who was dozing as well.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
Thor walked into the room, and settled himself in the simulator chair, looking at the Human with his big, dark, almost expressionless eyes.  
  
"What do you have planned for your young friend?"  
  
"Planned?" Jack asked. "I thought we'd head for McDonald's and maybe get a –"  
  
"For his future. He knows about the Asgard and the Goa'uld. Your SGC has managed to keep that a secret for many years, now."  
  
"Yeah, and we plan to keep it a secret." Jack said, suddenly defensive. "We're not going to kill him or anything, if that's what you mean. He's a little boy –"  
  
"I did not mean that," Thor said, looking almost shocked at the suggestion. "I mean, what will become of him? Will he join your program?"  
  
"He's a little young, Thor."  
  
"The young learn the best, O'Neill. They are without the set mind patterns that the old tend to develop, and learn far more rapidly."  
  
"He can't join SGC, Thor. He's too young. His parents can't find out about this. They're great people, but we can't just let-"  
  
"I understand, O'Neill."  
  
Jack looked at the Asgard thoughtfully for a moment.  
  
"Why do you ask?"  
  
"The Asgard Commanders wanted a chance to speak with him. Once we are finished relocating the Pe'aoli. They think that someone so young and intelligent could –"  
  
"Could what?"  
  
"Could be an asset for your race, O'Neill. If he were trained early."  
  
"I thought I just told you-"  
  
"Yes. He is too young, now. But perhaps later."  
  
Jack stared at the Asgard, unsure what he was getting at, but suddenly feeling just a little angry. It was all Thor's fault that Shawn knew about the aliens in the first place, after all.  
  
"You know... we wouldn't be having this conversation if you would stop beaming me up whenever you get a wild hair up your-"  
  
"Yes, it is my fault that he knows, O'Neill. I take full responsibility." Of course, Shawn knew far more than O'Neill knew he knew, and that was Thor's fault as well. "I am merely suggesting that the child can be used to- "  
  
"We don't USE our children, Thor!" Jack yelled, his temper snapping. He realized yelling might wake up Shawn, and he most definitely didn't want the boy coming in to investigate, so he put a tight clamp down on his anger, and continued in as normal a voice a he could. "We nurture. We protect. We raise them up to be the best people they can be. And then, when they're OLD ENOUGH, we let them choose what they're going to do with their lives."  
  
"He knows what he wants to do, O'Neill." Thor said. "He wants to be like you."  
  
"No. He thinks he wants to be like me," Jack said, although he knew Thor was dead right. Shawn was well aware of what he wanted to be when he grew up. At least he thought he knew.  
  
"Today he wants to be like me, tomorrow he might want to be a pig farmer. Whatever he wants, though, and whatever he becomes, will not be because I forced him into it."  
  
The little alien was quiet for a long moment, looking at Jack, who was looking right back, unwilling to be the one to back down. Not when it was something so important. And personal.  
  
"Very well." Thor got up from the chair and headed for the door. "We will arrive in orbit around your planet in approximately three hours. Please do not break the simulator in the meantime. We will be needing it."  
  
"I'm not going to break-"  
  
Thor was gone, though, and Jack was defending himself to a closing door. 


	27. 27

"Are you mad at me, Jack?"  
  
O'Neill looked down at the boy that was standing next to him, surprised at the question.  
  
"Not at all, Shawn, why do you ask?"  
  
Shawn shrugged, but Jack wasn't going to take that as an answer. He knelt down so the two were face t face, his serious brown eyes meeting Shawn's equally serious gaze.  
  
"Why do you ask, Shawn?"  
  
"You're awfully quiet." Shawn said, looking away. "I just thought maybe it was because of me."  
  
Well, it WAS because of him, but not the way that he thought. Jack had woken Shawn and Carter when Thor had told him they were getting close to Earth. He'd wanted to get all their supplies gathered and get ready to get back to the planet. Anxious to get away from the Asgard before he tried talking to Shawn directly about whatever hair-brained idea him and the other little gray aliens may have concocted between them. Jack was certain Shawn would go for whatever it was, and he didn't want that to become an option.  
  
Jack reached out and put his hand on Shawn's cheek, forcing the boy to turn his head and look at him again. When had those brown eyes become so intelligent, Jack wondered. Had they always been like that, and he'd just never noticed?  
  
"Listen to me, Shawn," Jack said softly. "I'm not mad at you. I'm not even a little annoyed with you. You've handled yourself so much better than I ever could have thought. I know this has been pretty... weird... for you, and I want you to know how proud I am of you."  
  
"Proud of me?"  
  
"You could have collapsed in a corner and turned into a pile of jello. Instead, you helped. You stayed out of trouble – more or less – and you even made that thingie to leave for the Goa'uld. You did great, buddy."  
  
Shawn's eyes went from guarded to uncertain, and then to confident in the space of Jack's little talk, and there was a definite gleam of cheerfulness there by the time Jack was finished.  
  
"Thanks, Jack. You did good, too."  
  
"Oh, you have no idea how much I accomplished, Shawn," Jack said, standing up again and resting his hand on the top of the boy's head. "I could have strangled some of those Po'aelins."  
  
"Pa'olie."  
  
"Pe'aoli," Sam corrected, coming up to stand beside the two of them. "What are you guys discussing?"  
  
"Jack was telling me about the people he was tempted to strangle," Shawn said, smiling a welcome.  
  
Sam grinned. "You have no idea, Shawn. There was a guy with chickens, who was bound and determin-"  
  
"We have come out of hyperspace," Thor interrupted, walking into the storage area. "We will be in orbit in moments."  
  
"Thanks, Thor." Sam said.  
  
"Yeah." Jack's appreciation was a little more forced, since he was still simmering over his conversation with the Asgard. No one could hold a grudge better than Jack.  
  
"Thanks, Thor," Shawn agreed, smiling at the Asgard. "I'm sorry if I was a pest."  
  
"You were not."  
  
The little alien turned and walked back towards the bridge, followed by the others. They left their equipment where it was, knowing Thor would beam it down for them. They walked through the doors in time to see the Earth coming into view, then growing larger and finally holding in a single position.  
  
"It was my pleasure to meet you, Shawn," Thor said formally, bowing slightly to the boy. "I am sorry that I interrupted your weekend with O'Neill, but please rest assured it was necessary."  
  
"I know."  
  
Thor went to his chair and reached for the arm, just as Jack thought of something.  
  
"Hey! Don't beam us-"  
  
They were gone in a flash of white light.  
  
~*~  
  
"...into the Gate Room!"  
  
He looked around and saw that they'd all materialized right there, the Gate looming large behind them.  
  
"DAMNIT!"  
  
"Colonel O'Neill!"  
  
The three of them turned and looked up and saw Hammond standing behind the bullet-proof glass of the Command center with a group of very stunned looking men in uniform. Around them, technicians and a few Marines with automatic rifles were looking at them in shock.  
  
Jack looked up at Hammond, then down at Shawn, aware that the last and greatest secret of Cheyenne Mountain had just been revealed to the boy. Thanks, once again, to Thor. Shawn looked around, interested, but when Sam started to speak, the boy interrupted.  
  
"It's okay, Jack," Shawn said. "I know about the Stargate."  
  
"You do?" Sam asked. "How?"  
  
"I found the one on Thor's ship."  
  
"Of course you did..." Jack said, shaking his head. Again, he was getting a headache. Again, thanks to Thor.  
  
~*~  
  
"So the mission went well?" Hammond asked.  
  
Jack nodded. They were all seated around the briefing table, Shawn sitting between Sam and O'Neill. Daniel was there, as well, having come through the Gate only a few short minutes before Thor had beamed the other three in. Hammond was there, of course, as was another uniformed officer – this one an Army General, and a man in civilian clothing that everyone deferred to. Including Jack.  
  
"Yeah, we got the Po'eali onto the ships with minimal fuss. Had to hurry the last of them, since the Goa'uld decided to show up."  
  
"Really?" Daniel was still staring at Shawn, as he had been since he'd seen the boy with Carter and O'Neill in the Gate room. "And... um... what happened?"  
  
"Actually, we'll debrief later," Hammond said, standing up. "I just wanted to make sure that the Asgard were done with you."  
  
"Oh, they're done, Sir," Jack said. "They'll relocate the Pa'elio to a planet that they'll be safe on."  
  
"Good." Hammond looked at Jack, knowing from the way he was sitting, and how tense he was that there was more that Jack wanted to say, but it was also obvious that Jack had no intention of saying it in front of their audience.  
  
"Shawn? Will you come with me for a minute?"  
  
Shawn backed his chair out and stood up. He wasn't afraid of Hammond, so he wasn't nervous. He didn't even look at Jack or Sam to see if they were coming with him. Hammond walked into the next room, followed by Shawn, the civilian, and after a briefest hesitation, Jack. O'Neill wasn't sure if the General wanted him there or not, but he was Shawn's guardian – at least for the weekend – so he had to be there.  
  
"Shawn?" Hammond looked down at the boy, and gestured to the civilian. "Do you know who this is?"  
  
Shawn looked at the man, thinking that he probably should if the General thought he should, but he shook his head. "No, Sir."  
  
"I'm the President of the United States." The man said, kindly, reaching his hand out to shake hands with the boy.  
  
"Wow! Really?" He looked over at Jack, to make sure it really was. Jack wouldn't let anyone lie to him, after all.  
  
Jack nodded. "That he is."  
  
"Son, we need to have a talk about all the things you've seen this weekend. Okay?"  
  
~*~ 


	28. Epilogue

Epilogue  
  
Daniel Jackson was sitting in his office staring at a rock. Not just any rock, of course. There was no such thing in Daniel's office. This particular rock held some etchings in it that Daniel was trying to decipher. He wasn't making much progress on it, of course, since he had absolutely no frame of reference, except that it had come from PDW-212, which only meant that it wasn't Egyptian. Probably. Some of the symbols etched into the rock did look a little like some of the ones that he'd seen in Egypt. Of course, that didn't make them Egyptian, either.  
  
Daniel sighed.  
  
There was a knock on the door.  
  
"Come in."  
  
An Airman walked in, holding a plain brown package in his hand.  
  
"This just came for you, Doctor Jackson."  
  
Daniel reached out and took it, curiously.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
The man nodded, and left, not even looking around Daniel's office like some people did. You've seen one rock you've seen them all, as far as he was concerned.  
  
Daniel looked at the package, which had come to the base as a part of the regular Postal delivery, and opened it curiously. It was a simple package, which opened to prove to be a stack of papers, about a quarter inch thick, with three holes punched in them and neatly placed in a simple black binder.  
  
He looked at the first page – a cover page - that was written in sloppy handwriting, and his brow knotted in confusion at what he read. Then he opened the first page, and the confusion turned to surprise. He turned the page again, then again, then flipped through them all quickly, the surprise turning back to confusion. Finally, he stood up, picked up the binder, and the plain brown paper it'd come wrapped in, and left his office.  
  
Jack O'Neill was sitting in his office, as well. Reading a comic book. He'd had a busy day doing absolutely nothing, and was looking forward to a busy night of doing just the same. SG-1 had been off-world for almost a week, and after some hair-raising adventure, he was ready for a little bit of relaxation. He'd already sent Carter home, since she'd sprained her wrist and he wanted her to relax and not go to her lab and get lost in something complicated like he'd known she would. Teal'c was supposed to be coming by in a few minutes, and the two of them were going to go find something to cook at Jack's house that night.  
  
"Hey, Jack. Got a minute?"  
  
It was Daniel's voice, not Teal'c's, and Jack looked up from his comic book.  
  
"Sure, Daniel. What's up?"  
  
Jackson walked in and sat down on the edge of Jack's desk.  
  
"How long were you on that Asgard ship last month?"  
  
"I don't know. A couple days. Carter could tell you the exact-"  
  
"No more than a couple days, though?"  
  
"No. We left Saturday afternoon, got back early Monday."  
  
"Then how do you explain this?"  
  
Daniel handed a black binder to Jack, who took it curiously. He opened it up, seeing a page of notebook paper with sloppy handwriting. A child's handwriting. Turning the page, he saw the same child's handwriting, right next to a symbol that looked like...  
  
"What is that?"  
  
"Oh, that'd be Goa'uld."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Oh yeah."  
  
"Where did you get this?"  
  
"It came in the mail for me. Here."  
  
Daniel took the book back, and flipped through it. "Look at this, Jack. It's like an English – Goa'uld dictionary. No one on Earth , besides Teal'c, speaks – much less writes – Goa'uld well enough to make this."  
  
"Someone does."  
  
"Uh huh. The interesting thing is... half the English words are spelled wrong. The Goa'uld, as near as I can tell without actually looking at it all more thoroughly, is perfect."  
  
Jack felt the beginnings of a suspicion.  
  
"Where did you get this, Daniel?" He asked again.  
  
"It's anonymous." Jackson said. "Note that 'anonymous' is misspelled." He handed over the plain brown paper that it'd come wrapped in, and Jack looked at it in disbelief, and then stood up suddenly, his comic book forgotten.  
  
"Teal'c!"  
  
~*~  
  
"Jack!"  
  
"Hi, Dotty. Sorry to drop in so unexpectedly, but I was hoping we could see Shawn?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"You remember Daniel and Murray?"  
  
"Yes, how are you two? It's wonderful to see you. Murray, you're looking very fit."  
  
"Thank you. It is a pleasure to see you again."  
  
"Hi, Dotty."  
  
"Hello, Daniel. I'll go get Shawn, he's in his room."  
  
"We'll go find him, Dotty, if you don't mind?"  
  
"Not at all. Would you like some coffee?"  
  
"Yes, please. In a moment."  
  
The three went down the hall, and knocked on the door to what Jack knew was Shawn's room. There was a rustling of paper, and then a hurried "Come in!"  
  
Jack opened the door, and Shawn smiled.  
  
"Jack! Daniel! Murray!"  
  
"Hey, Shawn."  
  
"Hi."  
  
"Hello."  
  
"What are you guys doing here?" Not that he wasn't glad to see them, but it was certainly unexpected.  
  
Jack held up the black binder, and Shawn paled. Noticeably.  
  
"You know anything about this?" Jack asked.  
  
"Um..."  
  
"Did you do this?"  
  
Shawn had never lied to Jack, and never would. He nodded, silently.  
  
"How?"  
  
"I asked my mom to buy me some paper. I already had the pe-"  
  
"I don't mean how did you do it," Jack interrupted. "I mean how did you do it?"  
  
Shawn didn't say anything. He couldn't. He'd promised Thor he'd never tell. He raised his chin slightly, and Jack realized immediately that Shawn had just clammed up. Jack knew the posture well. He wasn't going to learn anything.  
  
"You won't tell me?"  
  
Shawn shook his head.  
  
"I just wanted to help. You won't let me help any other way."  
  
"You're-"  
  
"I know. I'm too young. You've told me that." Shawn's eyes were misty, but the boy just raised his chin again. He wasn't going to bawl just because Jack wasn't letting him help.  
  
O'Neill rubbed his face, tiredly, looking at the boy. It was obvious he expected Jack to chew him a new one, but Jack didn't have the heart to. How badly would he have wanted to help when he was Shawn's age, if he knew what Shawn did? What would he have done? Probably something more extreme than writing a book.  
  
Jack handed the notebook back to Daniel, and then held up the plain brown paper the binder had come in.  
  
"Next time you send something anonymously... Don't put your return address on it, okay? I'll see you next weekend for the ball game."  
  
He ruffled his fingers through the boy's hair, then turned and left the room, leaving Daniel and Shawn staring at him in surprise as Teal'c followed him.  
  
"That's it?" Daniel asked, as they walked outside into the afternoon sun about a half an hour later. They'd stayed long enough to have coffee but not much longer.  
  
"Did you want me to torture him, Daniel?"  
  
"How does-"  
  
"Who knows?" Jack said, shrugging. "Maybe he has a good memory. He was surrounded by that crap nonstop." O'Neill headed for his truck.  
  
"But-"  
  
"Daniel, he's not going to tell. And I'm not going to beat it out of him. When he's ready, he'll tell me."  
  
"But-"  
  
"Get in the truck, Daniel."  
  
Jack would find out, eventually. Just not that day.  
  
~*~  
  
Author's Note: Okay! That's the end. There's another story to come, obviously... but I'm not sure what it will be yet, and I'm not sure exactly how I want it to come out, so I probably won't start it until I have it figured out a little more. As for this one... what did you like? What did you NOT like? Favorite line? Was there one? Final reviews, please! (something to keep you occupied until I start the next one) 


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